Pediatr Gastroenterol Hepatol Nutr.  2014 Sep;17(3):140-146. 10.5223/pghn.2014.17.3.140.

High Incidence of Staphylococcus aureus and Norovirus Gastroenteritis in Infancy: A Single-Center, 1-Year Experience

• Sung K
• Kim JY
• Lee YJ
• Hwang EH
• Park JH

• KMID: 1803113
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5223/pghn.2014.17.3.140

Abstract

PURPOSE
The etiology of acute gastroenteritis (AGE) has changed since the introduction of the rotavirus vaccination. The aim of this study was to clarify which common pathogens, both bacterial and viral, are currently causing AGE in infants.
METHODS
Infants with acute diarrhea were enrolled. We tested for 10 bacterial pathogens and five viral pathogens in stool specimens collected from infants with AGE. The clinical symptoms such as vomiting, mucoid or bloody diarrhea, dehydration, irritability, and poor oral intake were recorded, and laboratory data such as white blood cell count and C-reactive protein were collected. The clinical and laboratory data for the cases with bacterial pathogens and the cases with viral pathogens were compared.
RESULTS
Of 41 total infants, 21 (51.2%) were positive for at least one pathogen. Seventeen cases (41.5%) were positive for bacterial pathogens and seven cases (17.1%) were positive for viral pathogens. Staphylococcus aureus (13 cases, 31.7%) and Clostridium perfringens (four cases, 9.8%) were common bacterial pathogens. Norovirus (five cases, 12.2%) was the most common viral pathogen. Fever and respiratory symptoms were common in the isolated viral infection group (p=0.023 and 0.044, respectively), whereas other clinical and laboratory data were indistinguishable between the groups.
CONCLUSION
In our study, S. aureus (41.5%) and norovirus (12.2%) were the most common bacterial and viral pathogens, respectively, among infants with AGE.

Keyword

Gastroenteritis; Infant; Korea; Staphylococcus aureus; Epidemiology

MeSH Terms

C-Reactive Protein
Clostridium perfringens
Dehydration
Diarrhea
Epidemiology
Fever
Gastroenteritis*
Humans
Incidence*
Infant
Korea
Leukocyte Count
Norovirus*
Rotavirus
Staphylococcus aureus*
Vaccination
Vomiting
C-Reactive Protein

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 This figure presents the monthly number of stool specimens. Thirteen specimens were positive for Staphylococcus aureus and eight were positive in the summer season.

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