Aetiology and Clinical Features of Severe Infantile Diarrhoea in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Abstract

This study, performed at Ethio-Swedish Pediatric Clinic, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from March through June 1979, included 175 children with diarrhoea in need of parenteral rehydration and 74 age and sex matched controls. Stool samples were analyzed using microscopy, routine bacteriology including culture for Campylobacter fetus ss jejuni, enterotoxin bioassay (LT) and rotavirus analysis. The clinical appearance of patients and stools was recorded. A microbiological diagnosis was established in 70% of the patients as compared to 23% positive findings in the controls. The most common findings were rotavirus (49%), enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC) (19%) and Campylobacter (13%) of the patients. Among bacterial enteropathogens EPEC was the most prevalent. The isolation rate of enterotoxigenic bacteria was 9% in patients, not differing significantly from the controls, 7%. The correlation of clinical symptoms to aetiology was not conclusive suggesting that the clinical picture of infantile diarrhoea in most cases is nonspecific.