Etiological Agents of Pediatric Diarrhea in Ardebil, Northwestern Iran

[Background]Gastroenteritis is known as the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in children worldwide. Diarrhea is the second leading cause of infant death in the developing countries. Identification of gastroenteritis-causing pathogens helps to control fecal-oral transmission and prevents further outbreaks.[Objectives]The current study aimed at evaluating the prevalence of bacterial, viral, and parasitic pathogens associated with children’s diarrhea in Ardebil, Iran.[Methods]A total of 400 stool specimens were collected from children within the age range of 2 months to 12 years from December 2015 to June 2016 in Bu-Ali hospital in Ardebil, Iran. The samples were tested for bacterial, viral, and parasitic agents.[Results]The results showed that parasites had the largest proportion of pathogens in the collected samples, followed by bacteria and viruses. The most commonly detected pathogens were: rotavirus, Escherichia coli, and Entamoeba histolytica, respectively. Protozoan parasites showed higher prevalence compared with helminthic infections.[Conclusions]Rotavirus, E. coli and E. histolytica were the most prevalent agents of diarrhea in children’s aged 2 month to 12 years in this study. Although detection of few micro organisms were considered in our study, the results indicate importance of hygiene improvement in this area. More specified molecular epidemiology studies with evaluating the most common etiologies will be helpful for a better understanding of the frequency of common infections and their transmission in this area.