Distribution of bacterial, viral and parasitic gastroenteritis agents in children under 18 years of age in Erzurum, Turkey, 2010-2020.

Introduction: Diarrheal diseases have existed since antiquity, resulting in high morbidity and mortality rates, particularly among children in developing countries. To eradicate these diseases, it is crucial to identify the pathogens that cause them and immediately initiate appropriate treatment. This retrospective study aims to investigate the incidence of childhood gastroenteritis and the epidemiological features of its causative agents.

Methods: During an 11-year period (2010-2020), as many as 51159 stool samples were obtained from children aged 0-17 years. These samples were examined for the presence of parasitic, bacterial, and/or viral gastroenteritis agents and evaluated retrospectively. The records obtained from the "ENLIL Hospital Information Management System Modules" were used to collect patient-related information.

Results: The most frequently observed pathogens were rotavirus (22.4%), adenovirus (2.2), Giardia lamblia (1.6%), and Campylobacter spp. (3.0%), considering the number of samples examined for each organism. The total incidence of viruses was about 25%, parasites 5% and the rate of pathogenic bacteria was 2%. In one-way ANOVA analysis, pathogen positivity was found to be significantly higher in children aged 3-5 years compared to those aged 15-17 and 0-2 [F (5, 51153, 17,588, p<0.001)]. The highest demand for the investigation of GE factors from stool samples was made in August, September and July. According to the number of samples examined, the highest pathogen positivity was in February, October, May, December and March, respectively. The most common pathogens involved in coinfections, occurring in 0.04% of the studied cases, were rotavirus and Giardia lamblia.

Conclusions: Parasitic, viral, and bacterial gastroenteritis maintain their current status with a high prevalence in children under 18 years of age, especially in children aged 0-4 years in Erzurum, Turkey.