Yasmeen Taj, Hamida I Memon, Lqbal Memon.
Etiological Agents of Dysentery in Children under Five Years of Age in Karachi.
J Coll Physicians Surg Pak Nov ;10(12):477-80.

Diarrhea with or without blood and mucus is one of the commonest problems in Pakistani children. A hospital-based study was carried out in the Pediatrics and Microbiology departments of Civil Hospital and Dow Medical College, Karachi. A total of 240 dysentery stool samples with blood and mucus from children of ages 0-5 years were investigated to determine etiology during winter and summer season from September 15 1995 to August 31, 1997. Known pathogens were identified in 138 (57.5%) stool samples, of which 103(42.9%) were Entamoeba histolytica, 29 (12.0%) Enteropathogenic Exoli and 5 (2.0%) Salmonella typhi. The seasonal variation affected isolation rate, in winter months 42 of 113 samples were positive for pathogens while 96 of 127 stool samples yielded pathogens in summer. Shigella species, the main cause of bacillary dysentery, was not identified at all. Virus isolation was not done due to limitation of facilities. The number of children with known pathogens were mostly under two years of age. The rational management of invasive diarrhea requires knowledge of the prevalent etiopathogens in that geographical area.

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