TY - JOUR
T1 - High Burden of Co-Infection with Multiple Enteric Pathogens in Children Suffering with Diarrhoea from Rural and Peri-Urban Communities in South Africa
AU - Potgieter, Natasha
AU - Heine, Lee
AU - Ngandu, Jean Pierre Kabue
AU - Ledwaba, Solanka Ellen
AU - Zitha, Tinyiko
AU - Mudau, Lutendo Sylvia
AU - Becker, Piet
AU - Traore, Afsatou Ndama
AU - Barnard, Tobias George
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 by the authors.
PY - 2023/2
Y1 - 2023/2
N2 - Infectious diarrhoea contributes to high morbidity and mortality in young children from sub-Saharan Africa. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of single and multiple diarrhoeal-causing pathogen combinations in children suffering from diarrhoea from rural and peri-urban communities in South Africa. A total of 275 diarrhoea stool specimens were collected between 2014 and 2016 from Hospitals and Primary Health Care clinics. The BioFire® FilmArray® Gastrointestinal panel was used to simultaneously detect 22 diarrhoea pathogens (viruses, bacteria, parasites) known to cause diarrhoea. A total of 82% (226/275) enteric pathogens were detected in the stool specimens. The two most detected bacterial, viral and parasitic pathogens each included: EAEC (42%), EPEC (32%), Adenovirus F40/41 (19%), Norovirus (15%), Giardia (8%) and Cryptosporidium (6%), respectively. Single enteric pathogen infections were recorded in 24% (65/275) specimens with EAEC, and Norovirus was found in 26% (17/65) and 14% (9/65) of the specimens, respectively. Multiple enteric pathogen combinations were recorded in 59% (161/275) of the stool specimens with 53% (85/161) containing two pathogens, 22% (35/161) containing three pathogens and 25% (41/161) containing four or more pathogens. The results from this study demonstrated the complex nature of pathogen co-infections in diarrhoeal episodes which could have an impact on treatment effectiveness.
AB - Infectious diarrhoea contributes to high morbidity and mortality in young children from sub-Saharan Africa. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of single and multiple diarrhoeal-causing pathogen combinations in children suffering from diarrhoea from rural and peri-urban communities in South Africa. A total of 275 diarrhoea stool specimens were collected between 2014 and 2016 from Hospitals and Primary Health Care clinics. The BioFire® FilmArray® Gastrointestinal panel was used to simultaneously detect 22 diarrhoea pathogens (viruses, bacteria, parasites) known to cause diarrhoea. A total of 82% (226/275) enteric pathogens were detected in the stool specimens. The two most detected bacterial, viral and parasitic pathogens each included: EAEC (42%), EPEC (32%), Adenovirus F40/41 (19%), Norovirus (15%), Giardia (8%) and Cryptosporidium (6%), respectively. Single enteric pathogen infections were recorded in 24% (65/275) specimens with EAEC, and Norovirus was found in 26% (17/65) and 14% (9/65) of the specimens, respectively. Multiple enteric pathogen combinations were recorded in 59% (161/275) of the stool specimens with 53% (85/161) containing two pathogens, 22% (35/161) containing three pathogens and 25% (41/161) containing four or more pathogens. The results from this study demonstrated the complex nature of pathogen co-infections in diarrhoeal episodes which could have an impact on treatment effectiveness.
KW - South Africa
KW - diarrhoea
KW - infectious
KW - paediatric patients
KW - pathogens
KW - stool specimens
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85148755504
U2 - 10.3390/pathogens12020315
DO - 10.3390/pathogens12020315
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85148755504
SN - 2076-0817
VL - 12
JO - Pathogens
JF - Pathogens
IS - 2
M1 - 315
ER -
