Campylobacter and rotavirus enteritis in Barbados - abstract

ABSTRACT

Childhood gastroenteritis is a universal disease which continues to be a major contributor to infant mortality, especially in developing countries. Within recent years rotavirus and, most recently, Campylobacter jejuni have been identified as the most common pathogens in childhood gastroenteritis. We present a pilot study of 400 children and aged 3 months to 6 years with gastroenteritis who were studied between July 15, 1983 and July 14, 1984. Rotavirus (11 percent), was the most frequently identified pathogen followed by Shigella in 7 percent, enteropathogenic E. coli in 4 percent, Salmonella species in 3 percent and C. jejuni in 1 percent of children; 8 (2 percent) had multiple pathogens. Rotavirus and C. jejuni cases were analysed in detail. Of the patients with C. jejuni, 66 percent presented with bloody diarrhoea, and fever, while for Rotavirus 80 percent of cases had diarrhoea, 70 percent vomiting and 43 percent upper respiratory symptoms. C. jejuni strains were uniformly sensitive to Erythromycin, Tetracycline, Chloramphenicol, Gentamicin and Nitrofurantoin. All patients had an uneventful recovery after their illness (AU)