BACKGROUND

Very little is known about Vibrio cholerae infection in neonates with diarrhoea.

AIM

The aim was to examine the frequency of enteropathogenic bacteria, especially Vibrio cholerae, in stool specimens from neonates with diarrhoea.

METHODS

We reviewed the hospital records of 240 neonates admitted with diarrhoea to the Dhaka Hospital of ICDDR,B: Centre for Health and Population Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh during January-December 2001. On admission, rectal swabs or stool specimens were plated directly onto taurocholate-tellurite-gelatin agar, Salmonella-Shigella agar and MacConkey's agar for culture of Vibrio cholerae, Shigella and Salmonella spp.

RESULTS

A single bacterial enteric pathogen was detected in 71 neonates, multiple pathogens in 12, and stool samples of 157 neonates revealed no pathogen. The identified enteropathogens were as follows: V. cholerae in 42 neonates, Shigella spp in 22, Salmonella spp in 8, Aeromonas spp in 9 and Hafnia alvei in 2.

CONCLUSION

V. cholerae is not uncommon in neonates presenting with diarrhoea in cholera-endemic countries.