DOI: 10.36347/sjams.2016.v04i11.037

Pages: 4043-4047

Child health care has been given prime priority by national health care system organisations. However, acute diarrhoea is still a leading cause of childhood morbidity and mortality. One in four deaths in children under 5 years is due to acute diarrhoea. This study was aimed to assess the microbial profile of acute diarrhoea in paediatric age group patients. A total 380 acute diarrhoeal cases and two hundred non diarrhoeal control subjects were selected and stool sample was collected. All samples were undergone for microbial examination. Bacterial enteropathogens belonging to 6 species were isolated in 40.7% of diarrhoeal cases such as E.coli in 21.7%, Shigella in 7.9%, Klebsiella in 1.1%, Campylobacter in 5.8%, Salmonella in 1.6% and Pseudomonas in 1.1%, G. Lamblia and E.histolytica were found in 3.2% and 2.6% respectively. Mixed agents were found in 2.6% cases. Rotavirus is an important cause of acute diarrhoea, found in 18% of children below 5 years of age. With the reference of above results that E.coli is predominant enteropathogens leading to diarrhoea and Shigella is another major contributor to the diarrhoea. Improving the use of ORT, practice of hand wash, community health education, sanitation and water supply improvement and rapid implementation of anti-diarrhoeal vaccines may help to prevent the acute diarrhoea.