Y. Germani et al., 2-YEAR STUDY OF ENDEMIC ENTERIC PATHOGENS ASSOCIATED WITH ACUTE DIARRHEA IN NEW-CALEDONIA, Journal of clinical microbiology, 32(6), 1994, pp. 1532-1536
A longitudinal study of diarrheal disease among patients of all ages w
ith acute diarrhea was carried out in New Caledonia from January 1990
to December 1991. Stool samples from 2,088 diarrheal patients were exa
mined for parasites, rotavirus, and bacterial pathogens. Potential sou
rces of contamination (drinking water, seawater and bovine and porcine
feces) were investigated. One or more enteric pathogens were identifi
ed in 41.8 and 40.6% of the persons with diarrhea, in 1990 and 1991, r
espectively. Salmonella spp., Shigella spp., HEp-2 cell adherent Esche
richia coli (diffuse adherent and enteroaggregative), enteropathogenic
E. coli (EPEC) (EPEC adherence factor-positive strains belonging to c
lassical serotypes), localized adherent E. coli (non-EPEC), and entero
toxigenic E. coli were the frequently identified enteropathogenic bact
eria. Other major enteropathogens were Entamoeba histolytica and Giard
ia lamblia. Campylobacter jejuni, Closthridium difficile, Clostridium
perfringens, Yersinia enterocolitica, and rotavirus were isolated from
only a few patients. No Vibrio spp., Aeromonas spp., Plesiomonas spp.
, Shiga-like-toxin-producing E. coli, enterohemorrhagic E. coli, or en
teroinvasive E. coli were identified. Shiga-like toxin I-producing E.
coli were present in adult bovines and calves, and heat-stable enterot
oxin II-producing enterotoxigenic E. coli were found in pigs.