Intestinal amebiasis: A concerning cause of acute gastroenteritis among hospitalized Lebanese children

Abstract

Background:Intestinal amebiasis is an important public health problem worldwide. More severe disease is associated with young age, malnutrition and immunosuppression.Aim:The aim of this study is to evaluate the prevalence and characteristic nature of intestinal amebiasis among pediatric population, and compare it with other causes of gastroenteritis.Materials and Methods:This is a retrospective comparative study conducted at Makassed General Hospital between January 2008 and December 2012, including all pediatric patients between birth and 15 years of age, who presented with symptoms of acute gastroenteritis.Results:One thousand three hundred ninety-five patients were included in the study, and were divided into four groups: Group I (Entameba histolytica group = 311 cases, 22.3%), group II (Rotavirus group = 427 cases, 30.6%), group III (bacterial group = 107 cases, 7.7%), group IV (unidentified group = 550 cases, 39.4%). Significant leukocytosis, neutrophilia and positive C-reactive protein were found among more than 50% of admitted Entemaba histolytica cases with a picture of severe invasive disease in young infants.Conclusion:Entameba histolytica can be an emerging serious infection, especially when it finds suitable environmental conditions and host factors, so we should be ready to face it with effective preventive measures.

Surveillance Study of Acute Gastroenteritis Etiologies in Hospitalized Children in South Lebanon (SAGE study)

“…Our study showed that the percentage of E. histolytica AGE was 26.3% (52 of 198) which was in correlation with the previous reported prevalence of 22% reported at the Makassed General Hospital in Beirut in 2013 [ 13 ] and very similar to the reported prevalence of 25.9% reported also in Tajikistan by in 2011 [ 16 ]. Moreover, the age distribution of amoebiasis was the following: 34% (18/52) were below one year old and constituted 20% as shown in Table 1 , which is an unusual presentation in this age group because E. histolytica is usually transmitted via fecal oral route with contaminated food and water, so young infants are less likely to develop intestinal amebiasis very often [ 17 ].…”

“…This single center study was conducted in the summer period of the year 2014 during the peak season of diarrheal diseases. It is one of the few studies conducted in Lebanon to determine the enteropathogens implicated in the pathogenesis of acute diarrheal diseases in hospitalized children using the common laboratory methods [ 13 ]. In this study we enrolled 198 pediatric cases with AGE representing 89% of all children admitted to our hospital with AGE for the entire period of the study that constituted about 40% of the total pediatric admissions.…”

“…A previous recent study in Lebanon showed an increasing prevalence of amoebiasis as the leading cause of hospitalized children for AGE in comparison to others Enteropathogens with data representing mainly the population of Beirut [ 13 ]. Our SAGE study prospectively enrolled and tested children admitted for AGE to our hospital, Ragheb Harb Hospital located in Nabatieh, south Lebanon, serving a population of 350,000 habitants and about 35,000 Syrian refugees, during the summer period of 2014, to determine the prevalence and etiology of infectious gastroenteritis by using the routine available tests performed in our hospital laboratory.…”

Aetiologies of Acute Gastroenteritis in Hospitalized Children

“…histolytica reported was 4.73% which was less than the study by Naous A et al [13] . The reason may be due to improved sanitation and use of clean drinking water.…”

Prevalence, risk factors and seasonal variations of different Enteropathogens in Lebanese hospitalized children with acute gastroenteritis

“…In 2011, data from the coordinated global network for rotavirus surveillance of the World Health Organization (WHO) showed that 37–53% of children hospitalized with diarrhea were infected with rotavirus in regions where vaccination has not been broadly applied [12]. In Lebanon, particularly, previous studies showed a prevalence of 27.7 and 30.6% of rotavirus [13, 14]. Nowadays, rotavirus vaccination is widely available for children in almost all countries and it is highly recommended by physicians [15].…”