BACTERIAL DIARRHEA

Diarrhoeal disease caused by enteric bacterial pathogens has become le ss prevalent in industrialized countries, but remains an important cau se of morbidity and mortality in developing countries. Although better management of acute diarrhoeal episodes has led to more favourable ou tcomes, persistent diarrhoea remains a problem for which risk factors are being recognized and associated bacterial pathogens identified. Un usual or intractable diarrhoea should alert health workers to the poss ibility of impaired immune function, which is associated with a range of enteric pathogens and opportunistic infections. Improved microbiolo gical methods have resulted in more frequent detection of pathogens in association with diarrhoea, as well as greater understanding of patho genesis. Clinical features of diarrhoeal disease and mechanisms involv ed in pathogenesis are discussed in relation to specific bacterial ent eric pathogens.