Diarrheal syndrome associated with Salmonella spp., and Shigella spp., in children treated in a pediatric hospital in the province of Chimborazo – Ecuador

Abstract

Introduction.  Diarrheal syndromes are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in children under 6 years of age in low- and middle-income countries, where limited access to safe water and poor sanitation, among others, prevail. Around the world there are around 1.7 billion cases and 1.5 million deaths each year. In Ecuador a high percentage of infants die from diarrheal diseases. Objective.  Estimate the prevalence of Salmonella spp., and Shigella spp., associated with diarrheal syndrome in the child population of the Alfonso Villagómez pediatric hospital, Riobamba, Chimborazo – Ecuador. Methodology. A quantitative, non-experimental, descriptive, analytical, field, prospective and cross-sectional study was carried out. The sample was calculated by applying the finite population formula (probability sampling). The analysis of 386 pediatric patients between 6 months and 6 years old, who presented diarrheal syndrome, was achieved. For the detection of Salmonella and Shigella, it was isolated and identified by means of conventional tests, using culture media: agar (SSA), Xylose Lysine Deoxycholate (XLD), for identification the required biochemical tests and the resistance profile to the antibiotics was determined by the agar disk diffusion method. Results. 75 fecal samples of the 386 analyzed (19.53%) were positive for Enterobacteriaceae. The isolated organisms were Salmonella spp., 37 (9.59%), Shigella spp., 26 (6.74%) and Escherichia coli 12 (3.11%). A statistically significant association was found between the presence of enterobacteria and the age of the children. Conclusion. Diarrheal syndrome continues to be a health problem in our environment, the main causal agent of infectious diarrhea in the child population of the province of Chimborazo, Ecuador is Salmonella spp., and is followed in frequency by Shigella spp. The information presented constitutes a source of relevant information that complements clinical and epidemiological surveillance.