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. 2016 Mar 18;27(1):48–52. doi: 10.1080/00313029500169452

Bacteria, viruses, yeasts and protozoans associated with diarrheal disease in Singapore

Lalitha Mendis *,**, Gamini Kumarasinghe ‡, Carol Chow ‡, Hong-Yin Liew ‡, Narayan P Ramachandran †, Kumudini Jayawardene *, Khar-Tiang Thong †, Josephine LC Howe †, Ek-Wang Lim †, Viqar Zaman †
PMCID: PMC7131593  PMID: 7603751

Abstract

Labile toxin producing enterotoxic E. coil(ETEC) were the commonest pathogen isolated from diarrheal stools of hospitalized children (21%) and adults (26%) in Singapore. Salmonellas ranked a close second in children (19%), Other bacterial pathogens were isolated from less than 5% of subjects. Blastocystis hominis was detected in 4.3% of diarrheal stools when a simple sedimentation technique was used. Cryptosporidium was not detected at all.

An analysis of yeast counts in smears of diarrheal and nondiarrheal stools suggested they were etiologically associated with at least 6% of diarrhea in children and 19% in adults. Testing for rotaviruses by Latex agglutination and for adenovirus by electronmicroscopy showed an association with 6 per cent and 3 per cent diarrhea respectively.

The study highlighted a need for: case control studies on ETEC and B. hominis; studies on the epidemiology of diarrhea by yeasts; establishing the true incidence of adenovirus diarrhea; studies on the prevalence and seasonality of rotavirus infection in Singapore.

Key words: Diarrhea, enterotoxigenic E. coil, salmonellosis, yeasts, Blastocystis hominis, adenovirus

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