Prevalence of pathogenic Escherichia coli and parasites in infants with diarrhoea in Kumasi, Ghana
Addy, P.A.K.; Antepim, G.; Frimpong, E.H.
East African Medical Journal 81(7): 353-357
2004
ISSN/ISBN: 0012-835X PMID: 15490707 Document Number: 583542
Objectives: To determine the relative frequencies and prevalence rates of pathogenic E. coli and intestinal parasites in hospitalized infants aged 0-5 years in Kumasi, Ghana. Design: A prospective descriptive study of screening 162 (83 males and 79 females) infants with diarrhoea and 122 (64 males and 58 females) non-diarrhoeal control infants for pathogens (E. coli and intestinal parasites) by standard microbiological methods. Setting: Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital and Maternal and Child Hospital, Kumasi, Ghana, during 1995. Results: From the 162 infants in the diarrhoeal group, 96 (59.6%) pathogens were isolated, whereas from the 122 infants in the control group, 8 (6.6%) pathogens were recovered. Enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC) was the most frequently detected pathogen, accounting for 24 (14.8%) of the findings in the diarrhoeal group and 5 (4.1%) in the non-diarrhoeal control group. Of the 26 EPEC isolates, there were 9 serotypes with the three dominant ones being 0125 (n=6), 0119 (n=5), and 026 (n=15). Other agents isolated in both diarrhoeal and non-diarrheoal groups included Ascaris lumbricoides (n=18 (11.1%) and n=2 (1.6%), respectively) and Cryptosporidium (n=13 (8.0%) and n=1 (0.8%), respectively). The following were detected only in diarrhoeal faeces: Giardia lamblia [G. duodenalis] (n=6, 3.7%); Trichomonas hominis (n=3, 1.9%); Trichuris trichiura (n=1, 0.6%); and hookworm (n=1, 0.6%). Conclusion: From this study, EPEC and Cryptosporidium may be considered as important diarrhoeagenic pathogens and it is hoped that provision of potable water and good sanitation may decrease diarrhoea cases in infants caused by these agents.