Etiology, clinical features, and epidemiological analysis of diarrhea patients visiting a gastrointestinal clinic in a comprehensive hospital in Beijing, China, in 2023

Objective

To investigate the clinical features and epidemiology of diarrhea patients and analyze the current distribution of enteropathogens causing diarrhea in a comprehensive hospital in Beijing, China, in 2023.

Materials and Methods

From April to October 2023, we enrolled patients with diarrheal diseases who visited the gastrointestinal clinic in our hospital. The patients' demographic, epidemiological, and clinical features were obtained via a questionnaire. Stool samples were examined for 20 enteropathogens by multiplex polymerase chain reaction testing.

Results

We enrolled 260 patients; men and adults accounted for 55.77% and 95.77% of the patients, respectively. The median age was 37 years. Eighty-four enteropathogens, 72 bacteria and 12 viruses, were identified in 74 patients. Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli was the predominant agent. Patients with and without pathogens detected in stool samples showed no significant differences in age, sex, gastrointestinal symptoms, and stool characteristics. Possible food-related events were recorded in 57.31% of the patients. Leukocyte counts in patients with bacterial infections were higher than those of patients with viral infections and those with no detected pathogens (p < 0.05). Seasonality of bacterial distribution was observed (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

Bacteria were predominant pathogens among the diarrhea patients. The incidence of diarrhea was related to hot weather and foodborne illness. Bacterial diarrhea may cause systemic infection. The clinical symptoms of infectious diarrhea were usually non-specific and unrelated to the type of infection. Timely and comprehensive multi-pathogen surveillance might be helpful to detect suspected pathogens and promote epidemic prevention and control.