Infantile gastroenteritis in Western Samoa
Marjoribanks, H.C.; Croxson, M.C.; Potoi, N.; Bellamy, A.R.
New Zealand Medical Journal 101(844): 195-197
1988
ISSN/ISBN: 0028-8446 PMID: 2834679 Document Number: 326003
Gastroenteritis has been identified traditionally as a major health problem in Western Samoa. In order to establish the extent of the problem, and to identify the viral and bacterial pathogens involved, stool specimens were collected from all children less than 2 years of age admitted to Apia Hospital, Western Samoa, over a 2 year period. Rotavirus was recovered from 5.5% of all admissions (20.5% of those labelled gastroenteritis) and bacterial pathogens were isolated from 2.1% of all admissions (0.9% of all those labelled gastroenteritis). Thus in Apia, as elsewhere, rotavirus is the most commonly identified enteric pathogen associated with infantile diarrhoea.