BACTERIA, VIRUSES, YEASTS AND PROTOZOANS ASSOCIATED WITH DIARRHEAL DISEASE IN SINGAPORE

Labile toxin producing enterotoxic E. coli (ETEC) were the commonest p athogen isolated from diarrheal stools of hospitalized children (21%) and adults (26%) in Singapore. Salmonellas ranked a close second in ch ildren (19%). Other bacterial pathogens were isolated from less than 5 % of subjects. Blastocystis hominis was detected in 4.3% of diarrheal stools when a simple sedimentation technique was used. Cryptosporidium was not detected at all. An analysis of yeast counts in smears of dia rrheal and nondiarrheal stools suggested they were etiologically assoc iated with at least 6% of diarrhea in children and 19% in adults. Test ing for rotaviruses by Latex agglutination and for adenovirus by elect ronmicroscopy showed an association with 6 per cent and 3 per cent dia rrhea respectively. The study highlighted a need for: case control stu dies on ETEC and B. hominis; studies on the epidemiology of diarrhea b y yeasts; establishing the true incidence of adenovirus diarrhea; stud ies on the prevalence and seasonality of rotavirus infection in Singap ore.