Types of Microorganisms Isolated from Children with Diarrhoea in Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria

Abstract

Diarrhoea continues to be the scourge of children across the world. Despite efforts by the World Health Organisation and other agencies, much still remains to be done in combating diarrhoeal diseases in the developing world, including Nigeria. This study was conducted to determine the types of microorganisms responsible for diarrhoea in children in Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria. A total of 125 children with symptoms of diarrhoea that visited the Mother and Child Hospital, Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria was recruited for the investigation. Stool samples were obtained from these children and assayed using standard microbiological methods to isolate and identify the types of microorganisms present. The investigation showed the types and the percentages of the different microorganisms isolated from the examined stools as follows:Escherichia coli (89.6%), Enterobacter aerogenes (59.2%), Klebsiella pnuemoniae (47.2%), Shigella flexneri (37.6%), Salmonella typhimurium (32.8%), Vibrio cholerae (28.8%), Salmonella typhi (28.0%), Shigella sonnei (25.6%), rotavirus (24.8%), and Vibrio paraheamolyticus (21.6%). The significance of this result is discussed.