ACUTE DIARRHEA AND CAMPYLOBACTER IN PERUVIAN CHILDREN - A CLINICAL AND EPIDEMIOLOGIC APPROACH

A study performed on Peruvian children <10 years of age and their cont rols showed that Campylobacter jejuni is a leading cause of diarrhoea. Infants 1 year old or younger were the most affected. The disease was usually moderately severe, although >50 per cent of patients required i.v. fluid therapy. Campylobacter was also more frequent in malnouris hed patients, who come from socio-economically deprived groups, with o vercrowding, poor sanitation, and frequent contact with domestic birds and animals. The seasonal behaviour suggests that diarrhoea caused by Campylobacter is endemic in this area.