22Oct 2022

E. COLI AND VIBRIOCHOLERAE PREVALENCE IN INFANTS 0 - 5 YEARS OLD WITH DIARRAHOEA VISITING SOME HOSPITALS

  • 1. Department of Public Health, National Open University of Nigeria, Uromi Community Study Centre, Uromi, Edo State, Nigeria.

Diarrhoea can be defined as the occurrence of three or more loose, liquid or watery stools or at least one bloody loose stool in a 24h period. Cholera is worldwide problem, especially in developing countries. It has been very rare in industrialized nations for the hundred years, however, the diseases is common today in other part of the world, including the Indian sub-continent and sub-Sahara Africa. This study is to ascertain the prevalence of Escherichiacoli and Vibriocholera in infants 0 – 5 years with diarrhoea attending some private hospitals in Ekpoma. The study population consisted of children between the ages of 0-5 years, presenting with diarrhoea, whose parents gave consent and the exclusion criteria were children under the ages of 0-5 years, whose parents did not give their consent and those above the age range in study. Fifty (50) stool samples were collected from children under 5 years of age visiting some selected hospital in Ekpoma due to acute diarrhoea. Stool samples were collected using sterile stool containers and transferred to the microbiology laboratory of St Kenny Research Consult, Ekpoma on ice packs for laboratory analysis. Stool samples collected from all of the children enrolled in the study were tested for E. coli and Vibrio cholera during the period of the study. There were altogether 50 stool samples processed for Vibrio choleraeand Escherichia coli. Out of 50 diarrhoeal patients (children) studied, 22 (44%) were male and 28 (56%) were female. Majority of the children with diarrhea were between 13 – 24 months 16 (32%), followed by 25 - 36 months 12 (24%), 0 – 12 months 10 (20%), 37 – 48 months 8 (16%) and 49 – 60 months 4 (8%). Among the 4, children within the age of 0 – 12 months had a prevalence of 1 (5.6%), those within the age range of 13 – 24 months had a prevalence of 2 (20%) while those within the age range of 25 – 36 months had a prevalence of 1 (16.7%). While for Vibrio, out of the fifty (50) stool samples examined, three (3) were positive to Vibrio cholerae. Among the 3, one (1) child from within the age of 13 – 24 months, 25 – 36 months and 37 – 48 months. None was found among children within the age range of 0 – 12 months and 49 – 60 months. This study suggests that E. coliare an important diarrhoea pathogen in subjects in Ekpoma. The implication of this is that our health inspectors in the local government areas of the state must be vigilant and ensure that campaigns are mounted to educate our citizens on ways of improving on the unsanitary environment. The presence of antibiotic resistant strains of the E. coli and V. choleraeisolates in the study population indicates the often unnecessary and uninformed use of these drugs in the treatment of most infantile diarrhoea cases.


IYEVHOBU, K. O.
1. Department of Public Health, National Open University of Nigeria, Uromi Community Study Centre, Uromi, Edo State, Nigeria.

Share this article