[Bacterial etiological factors of diarrhea in the stool of infants hospitalized in January 1987].

The results are presented of the second part of the studies conducted for monitoring of the variability of bacterial factors causing diarrhoea in the youngest children. The presently reported study comprised 42 babies aged from 7 days to 18 months treated in hospital in January 1987. The number of children with diarrhoea hospitalized in this period was relatively smaller than in January 1985, while the incidence of enteropathogenic bacteria in stools was very similar. They included mainly Klebsiella and enteropathogenic Escherichia coli strains, especially in the youngest children. In only one case Salmonella arizonae was found while in 1985 a very high number of Salmonella agona strains were cultured, especially from newborns. In both parts of the study Campylobacter jejuni and Yersinia enterocolitica were never found in stools. In both parts of the study the course of bacterial diarrhoea was mostly moderately severe, loose stools continued usually for 3-4 days, but in the second part more cases of severe diarrhoea were noted, which, however, could not have been related to the bacterial species cultured from stools or to the presence of mixed bacterial flora. The importance is stressed of the carrier state of enteropathogenic bacteria which was observed in three-fourths of patients in January 1987, while in January 1985 this was present in nearly all cases without diarrhoea.