PREVALENCE OF DIARRHEAGENIC BACTERIA AMONG PATIENTS ATTENDING KASHERE GENERAL HOSPITAL, GOMBE STATE

Abstract

Introduction:
Diarrheal diseases are a major public health concern globally and the leading cause of morbidity and mortality among children in Africa and most other developing countries. Children between the ages of five and below are particularly at high risk of diarrheal diseases. Rural areas in Nigeria are particularly vulnerable to diarrheal diseases due to poor sanitation, unsafe drinking water, poor hygiene practices, and low immunization coverage, among others. Given these, the research wishes to isolate and identify common diarrhea-causing bacteria from stool samples of patients attending Kashere General Hospital in a rural community.
Material and Methods:
Stool samples were collected from patients attending the Hospital and subjected to microbiological analysis using standard procedures for the identification of the targeted bacteria.
Results:
The distribution of age groups of samples collected was high (39.9%) for 0–5 years and 6–10 years (28.6%), across genders, with seven different groups of bacteria identified in male and female samples: E. coli sp., Shigella sp., Salmonella Typhi, Salmonella Paratyphi, Campylobacter sp., Vibrios sp., and E. coli O157:H7. While Campylobacter sp. was not isolated from any female sample. There was a significant difference in the number of Shigella sp. isolates from Samonella Paratyphi and Salmonella Typhi, Vibrio sp., and E. coli.
Conclusions:
There is an alarming rate of isolation of Shigella among children under five years of age that cuts across genders, and incidence first ever reported prevalence in the study area. This is important in terms of a strategic public health approach to address factors supporting the infection chain for the transmission of diarrheal pathogens in the area. However, further studies may be required to confirm these observations and identify additional risk factors associated with bacterial infections in this population.