Etiology of diarrhea among children under the age five in China: Results from a five-year surveillance.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

Diarrhea is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality for children, although sparse data is available on the etiology of diarrhea in China. This study was conducted to determine main causes that underlie childhood diarrhea and related diseases.

Method

Surveillance data for diarrhea was collected from 213 participating hospitals between 2009 and 2013. These stool specimens, from children aged 0-59 months, were then analyzed for a panel of etiological agents consisting of 5 viruses, 8 bacteria and 3 protozoa. The proportion of children who tested positive for each pathogen was calculated and seasonal patterns for major organisms were determined.

Results

Pathogens were identified in 44.6% of the 32,189 samples from children with diarrhea. The most commonly de

SUBMITTER: Yu J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4667737 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature