Seasonal variation in acute diarrhoea in children in two village communities in Burma

639 under-five children at Htaukkyant villages in 1979-80, and over 700 under five children at Intakaw villages in 1982-83, were followed up by daily diarrhoea surveillance and monthly anthropometry for a duration of one year. There was a definite seasonality for acute diarrhoea, the incidence rates during the monsoon months being significantly higher than those during the winter months. Bacterial agents, especially enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli, were the most common pathogens for acute diarrhoea during monsoon, and rotavirus was the most common pathogen detected during winter. Presumably, because of the cytopathic effect of rotavirus, children who developed diarrhoea during winter had smaller gain in body weights per month than those who developed diarrhoea during monsoon (being most commonly associated with enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli).