Bacterial Diarrhoea

Abstract

Bacterial infections are important causes of diarrhoea in infants and children, particularly in developing countries and in other settings where standards of personal and community hygiene are low.

Knowledge of bacterial diarrhoeas has been significantly expanded in recent years by the finding that many episodes of acute diarrhoea are due to infections with bacteria which produce enterotoxins that interfere with intestinal fluid and electrolyte transport (the ‘enterotoxigenic’ diarrhoeas). Several ‘newer’ bacterial agents have also been identified which would not have been detected in earlier studies of the epidemiology of infective diarrhoeas; these include Aeromonas, Campylobacter, Clostridium difficile and Yersinia. Another important advance has been new knowledge about mechanisms by which bacteria cause diarrhoea; this has led to the widespread successful application of oral rehydration therapy in treatment of acute watery diarrhoeas.