PREVALENCE OF ENTEROPATHOGENS IN STOOLS OF RURAL MAASAI CHILDREN UNDER 5 YEARS OF AGE IN THE MAASAILAND REGION OF THE KENYAN RIFT-VALLEY

Stool samples were collected during August 1994 from seventy rural Maa sai children under the age of five years who were living in the Maasai land region of the Kenyan Rift Valley, Microbiological analysis was ca rried out on these samples to identify which intestinal pathogens were present among the infant population of the Maasai. Of the samples stu died 54% were pathogen positive. The most common pathogen isolated was Giardia lamblia which was detected in 31% of the samples. Other patho gens that were detected include: Entamoeba histolytica (23%), Enteropa thogenic Eschericia coli (13%), Strongyloides stercoralis (4%), Blasto cystis hominis (3%) and Cryptosporidium sp (3%). Although all samples were screened for Campylobacter and rotavirus, neither pathogen was de tected. Water samples were taken from ail the water sources in the stu dy area and analysed microbiologically. Results showed that all the so urces were contaminated with the faecal E. coli whose populations rang ed from 14 CFU/ 100 ml to greater than 1800 CFU/ 100ml.