Enteropathogens associated with diarrheal disease in infants of poor urbanareas of Porto Velho, Rondonia: a preliminary study

One hundred and thirty cases of diarrhea and 43 age-matched controls, 0 to 5 years old, were studied in a pediatric outpatient unit from a poor peri u rban area of Porto Velho, Rondonia. Eighty percent of diarrheal cases were observed in the groups under 2 years of age. Rotavirus (19.2%) was the most frequent enteropathogen associated with diarrhea, followed by Shigella fle xneri (6.15%) and s. sonnei (1.5%) and Salmonella sp. (6.9%). Four cases of E. coli enterotoxigen infections (3.1%), E. coli enteropathogenic (EPEC)(2 .3%) one case of E. coli enteroinvasive infection (0.8%) and once case of Y ersinia enterocolitica (0.8%) were also identified. Mixed infections were f requent, associating rotavirus, EPEC and Salmonella sp. with Entamoeba hist olytica and Giardia lamblia.