A study of two-weekly incidence of ARI in under-five children of rural area of Alwar (Rajasthan).

A retrospective study of two-weekly incidence of acute respiratory infections (ARI) in the under-five children of rural area of Alwar District (Rajasthan) based on the previous fourteen days' recall by the mothers was undertaken during December 1989 to assess the magnitude of the problem and its' risk factors. The two-weekly ARI incidence was reported to be 33 episodes per 100 under-fives. Mothers in higher socio-economic strata reported higher incidence of ARI for their children due to more accurate recall. Majority of ARI cases (76 per cent) were found to be of mild degree. 26 per cent of deaths in under-fives during the previous year were reported to be ARI-related. 50 per cent of ARI cases were left untreated. Among the treated group, private practitioners were found to be the main source of health care.

Studies on the pathogenicity of classical enteropathogenic Escherichia coli strains isolated from acute diarrhoea among children 0-5 years of age.

The mechanisms of pathogenicity in EPEC strains were studied in tissue culture. Escherichia coli was isolated as the predominant organism in the primary culture of 1293 (70.54%) diarrhoeal cases. 284 (90.44%) cases from the age group of 1-6 months showed Escherichia coli as the predominant organism. Classical Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) were detected in 311 (24.05%) cases. Among EPEC isolates 277 (89.06%) did not produce either LT or ST. 32 (10.28%) produced LT or ST. 2 strains produced verotoxins belong to serotypes 0:86; K:61, 0.26; K:60, serogroups 0.86:K61 0142:K86, 0:128:K67, 0 126: 71, 0125:K 70, 0119: k69 showed localised adherence and serogroups 0111:K58-055:K59 showed both localised and diffused adherence to HeLa cells.