Table 2. Distribution of selected bacterial and viral pathogens based on clinical and risk factors in diarrhoea cases at four referral hospitals, Sydney, Australia, 2007–2010.
| Characteristics |
Campylobacter n(%) |
C. difficile n(%) |
Salmonella spp n(%) |
Shigella spp n(%) |
Salmonella typhi A n(%) |
Norovirus n(%) |
Rotavirus n(%) |
Adenovirus n(%) |
||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 377 | (22.0) | 330 | (19.2) | 238 | (13.9) | 45 | (2.6) | 12 | (0.7) | 183 | (10.7) | 161 | (9.4) | 130 | (7.6) |
| Age group (years) | ||||||||||||||||
| < 5 | 96 | (25.5) | 29 | (8.8) | 78 | (32.8) | 5 | (11.1) | 2 | (16.7) | 131 | (71.6) | 142 | (88.2) | 115 | (88.5) |
| 5–12 | 50 | (13.3) | 7 | (2.1) | 41 | (17.2) | 3 | (6.7) | 4 | (33.3) | 9 | (4.9) | 15 | (9.3) | 8 | (6.2) |
| 13–24 | 70 | (18.6) | 17 | (5.2) | 35 | (14.7) | 4 | (8.9) | 1 | (8.3) | 6 | (3.3) | 1 | (0.6) | 4 | (3.1) |
| 25–49 | 89 | (23.6) | 49 | (14.8) | 47 | (19.7) | 28 | (62.2) | 4 | (33.3) | 4 | (2.2) | 0 | (0) | 0 | (0) |
| 50–75 | 44 | (11.7) | 125 | (37.9) | 26 | (10.9) | 4 | (8.9) | 1 | (8.3) | 10 | (5.5) | 3 | (1.9) | 1 | (0.8) |
| > 75 | 28 | (7.4) | 103 | (31.2) | 11 | (4.6) | 1 | (2.2) | 0 | (0) | 23 | (12.6) | 0 | (0) | 2 | (1.5) |
| Signs and symptoms | ||||||||||||||||
| Diarrhoea | 376 | (99.7) | 325 | (98.2) | 238 | (100.0) | 45 | (100.0) | 11 | (91.7) | 179 | (97.8) | 159 | (98.8) | 127 | (97.7) |
| Vomiting | 167 | (44.1) | 99 | (29.9) | 146 | (60.8) | 24 | (53.3) | 7 | (58.3) | 116 | (63.4) | 138 | (85.7) | 80 | (61.5) |
| Abdominal pain | 239 | (63.1) | 94 | (28.4) | 142 | (59.2) | 34 | (75.6) | 7 | (58.3) | 32 | (17.5) | 27 | (16.8) | 16 | (12.3) |
| Fever | 214 | (56.5) | 92 | (27.8) | 159 | (66.3) | 31 | (68.9) | 10 | (83.3) | 76 | (41.5) | 110 | (68.3) | 58 | (44.6) |
| Dehydration | 90 | (23.7) | 45 | (13.6) | 75 | (31.3) | 20 | (44.4) | 3 | (25.0) | 35 | (19.1) | 82 | (50.9) | 39 | (30.0) |
| Anorexia/loss of appetite | 81 | (34.2) | 45 | (27.4) | 73 | (45.1) | 6 | (16.7) | 6 | (54.5) | 37 | (31.9) | 67 | (48.6) | 38 | (43.7) |
| Lethargy | 62 | (29.0) | 37 | (25.0) | 57 | (38.5) | 5 | (15.6) | 6 | (60.0) | 56 | (51.4) | 89 | (66.4) | 45 | (54.2) |
| Respiratory symptoms | 31 | (14.5) | 16 | (10.7) | 17 | (11.5) | 0 | (0) | 6 | (60.0) | 36 | (33.0) | 33 | (24.6) | 34 | (41) |
| Stool description | ||||||||||||||||
| Severe/explosive | 39 | (10.3) | 5 | (1.5) | 31 | (12.9) | 12 | (26.7) | 3 | (25.0) | 12 | (6.6) | 16 | (9.9) | 9 | (6.9) |
| Watery | 186 | (49.1) | 208 | (62.8) | 118 | (49.2) | 20 | (44.4) | 2 | (16.7) | 131 | (71.6) | 118 | (73.3) | 96 | (73.8) |
| Loose-unformed | 11 | (2.9) | 46 | (13.9) | 7 | (2.9) | 0 | (0) | 4 | (33.3) | 21 | (11.5) | 9 | (5.6) | 14 | (10.8) |
| Bloody/mucous | 128 | (33.8) | 31 | (9.4) | 74 | (30.8) | 13 | (28.9) | 1 | (8.3) | 8 | (4.4) | 10 | (6.2) | 9 | (6.9) |
| Persistent > 14 days | 11 | (2.9) | 29 | (8.8) | 10 | (4.2) | 0 | (0) | 2 | (16.7) | 9 | (4.9) | 7 | (4.3) | 2 | (1.5) |
| Co-morbidities | ||||||||||||||||
| Surgery | 15 | (154.0) | 112 | (34.0) | 7 | (2.9) | 1 | (2.2) | 0 | (0) | 15 | (8.2) | 4 | (2.5) | 8 | (6.2) |
| HIV/AIDS | 3 | (0.8) | 8 | (2.4) | 2 | (0.8) | 17 | (37.8) | 0 | (0) | 0 | (0) | 0 | (0) | 0 | (0) |
| Cancer | 19 | (5.0) | 51 | (15.5) | 9 | (3.8) | 1 | (2.2) | 1 | (8.3) | 13 | (7.1) | 1 | (0.6) | 5 | (3.8) |
| Transplant (organ, bone marrow) | 7 | (1.9) | 31 | (9.4) | 2 | (0.8) | 0 | (0) | 0 | (0) | 5 | (2.7) | 1 | (0.6) | 4 | (3.1) |
| Other potential risk factors | ||||||||||||||||
| Antibiotic use/chemotherapy | 28 | (7.4) | 216 | (65.9) | 34 | (14.2) | 11 | (25.0) | 2 | (16.7) | 40 | (22.0) | 19 | (11.9) | 20 | (15.4) |
| Chronic gastrointestinal illness | 24 | (6.4) | 57 | (17.3) | 11 | (4.6) | 3 | (6.8) | 0 | (0) | 9 | (4.9) | 5 | (3.1) | 3 | (2.3) |
| Consumption of suspect food | 54 | (14.4) | 2 | (0.6) | 37 | (15.5) | 9 | (20.5) | 0 | (0) | 2 | (1.1) | 4 | (2.5) | 1 | (0.8) |
| Involved in FBI outbreak | 3 | (0.8) | 1 | (0.3) | 7 | (2.9) | 0 | (0) | 0 | (0) | 1 | (0.5) | 1 | (0.6) | 2 | (1.5) |
| MSM status* | 3 | (4.3) | 4 | (3.6) | 1 | (4.0) | 18 | (58.1) | 0 | (0) | 0 | (0) | 0 | (0) | 0 | (0) |
| Travel within six weeks | 26 | (6.9) | 8 | (2.4) | 31 | (13.0) | 12 | (27.3) | 9 | (75.0) | 7 | (3.8) | 15 | (9.3) | 1 | (0.8) |
FBI, foodborne illness; MSM, men who have sex with men; and N-T, non-typhoid.
* Information available for cases from Hospital C only (n = 313).