Vol. 3, Issue 7, Part F (2017)

Abstract

Diarrhoea is a common complaint in pediatrics which may arise from many different etiological factors and have a major impact on nutrition. Malnourished children develop diarrhoeal illnesses more frequent and severe than well-nourished children. Detection of etiological agents of infective diarrhoea is important for therapeutic aspects and for implementation of appropriate control strategies. The problem of antimicrobial resistance in microorganisms causing diarrhoeal diseases in both developed and developing countries continues to be alarming. An attempt is made to screen etiological agent of chronic diarrhoea in malnourished patients. Stool samples were subjected for macroscopic, microscopic and cultural examination to demonstrate pus cells, red blood cell, trophozoites, ova of parasites, fungi and bacteria including E. coli serotype O157:H7. Susceptibility pattern of the bacterial isolates to common antibiotics used in the treatment obtained from clinical samples was carried out by Kirby- Bauer disk diffusion method. Rotavirus antigen was detected by serological method using RIDASCREEN ^âRotavirus kit., which involves Enzyme immunoassay. In the study, comparison between acute and chronic diarrhoea cases revealed that E. coli is the commonest etiology in acute as well as chronic diarrhoea cases. Children less than 1 year were found to be predominant group associated with infective chronic diarrhoea more prone to severe malnutrition. Study concludes, chronic diarrhoea is more common in malnourished children with Grade II and III malnutrition. Bacterial infection is more common with chronic diarrhoea in malnourished children. E. coli Serotype EPEC was found to be associated with persistent diarrhoea in malnourished children, where as EHEC was found predominantly associated with acute diarrhoea. As per suggestive mechanisms of chronic infective diarrhoea in malnourished children, normal commensal E. coli can be one of the predominant etiological agent for chronic infective diarrhoea in malnourished children.