Etiology and antimicrobial sensitivity pattern of bacteria, causing summer diarrhea in children

ABSTRACT

During a four month period from July to November 1992, five hundred stool samples from children with acute diarrhea were examined for pus cells, parasites and cultured for pathogens including Salmonella, Shigella, Campylobacter, E. coli, and the ELISA test for Rotavirus. The isolated bacteria were then tested for antimicrobial sensitivity. Inflammatory cells were observed in 110 [22%] and correlated with positive culture in 65.5%. Giardia lamblia was isolated in 56 [11.2%] and Entamoeba histolytica in 8 [1.6%]. Bacteria were isolated in 148 [29.6%] samples and included, E. coli 96 [19.2%] Shigella 26 [5.2%], Campylobacter 25 [5%] and Salmonella 15 [3%]. Rotavirus was isolated in 140 of 419 [33.5%] samples and was accompanied by other agents in 34%. The isolated bacteria were sensitive to nalidixic acid in 99.6%, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole [TMP-SMZ] in 30% and ampicillin in 26%. The demonstration of pus cells in stool is an important indication of an invasive pathogen, isolation of rotavirus from stool does not necessarily implicate the virus as an etiologic agent of diarrhea. The majority of enteric bacteria are resistant to ampicillin, TMP-SMZ and moderately sensitive to first generation cephalosporin. The bacteria were highly sensitive to nalidixic acid