A study of infective aetiology of chronic diarrhoea in children in Amritsar.

Examination of 150 stool samples from children of less than 3 years of age of chronic diarrhoea showed the presence of various enteropathogens in 58.7% cases. Cryptosporidium in pure form, Entamoeba histolytica and Giardia lamblia were detected in 1.3%, 2% and in 4% cases respectively. In 1.3% children Candida albicans was isolated. The predominant bacterial isolate was enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (21.4%). Salmonella typhimurium, shigella and campylobacter were isolated in 8.6%, 4% and 0.7% children respectively.