Epidemiology of persistent diarrhea and etiologic agents in Mirzapur, Bangladesh

Abstract

To determine the epidemiology and etiologic agents of persistent diarrhea we carried out an intensive diarrhea surveillance on children less than six years old in rural Bangladesh. From March 1987 to February 1989 we examined 363 children through diarrhea recall interviews and analyzed stool samples of all diarrhea cases for potential pathogens. Results showed that children had an average of two episodes per year and the incidence rate of diarrheal episodes denned as acute (Escherichia coli was found significantly more often at onset in persistent than in acute episodes, whereas Shigella, Aeromonas, Giardia and toxigenic E. coli were isolated with less frequency in persistent than acute episodes. This suggests that other factors might be more important in the development of persistent diarrhea than specific pathogens.