Campylobacter enteritis among children in north-west Ethiopia: a 1-year prospective study

Summary

The incidence of Campylobacter enteritis among children visiting the outpatient department of a teaching hospital in north-west Ethiopia was prospectively studied over a period of 12 months from June 1994 to May 1995. Campylobacter spp. were isolated from the stools of 60 children out of 434 investigated by culture (13.8%). The highest isolation rate was found in children aged from 6 to 24 months. The period of peak isolation was September to November. Among children aged 1–5 years, Campylobacter was more frequently isolated from those presenting with persistent diarrhoea than from among those with acute illness (OR 2.53; 95% CI: 1.02–6.18). Culture positivity was higher among malnourished children. Our findings demonstrate the important role played by this pathogen in childhood diarrhoeal illness in the area.