Pathogen-specific burdens of community diarrhoea in developing countries: a multisite birth cohort study (MAL-ED)

Publication date: Available online 19 July 2015 Source:The Lancet Global Health Author(s): James A Platts-Mills, Sudhir Babji, Ladaporn Bodhidatta, Jean Gratz, Rashidul Haque, Alexandre Havt, Benjamin JJ McCormick, Monica McGrath, Maribel Paredes Olortegui, Amidou Samie, Sadia Shakoor, Dinesh Mondal, Ila FN Lima, Dinesh Hariraju, Bishnu B Rayamajhi, Shahida Qureshi, Furqan Kabir, Pablo P Yori, Brenda Mufamadi, Caroline Amour, J Daniel Carreon, Stephanie A Richard, Dennis Lang, Pascal Bessong, Esto Mduma, Tahmeed Ahmed, Aldo AAM Lima, Carl J Mason, Anita KM Zaidi, Zulfiqar A Bhutta, Margaret Kosek, Richard L Guerrant, Michael Gottlieb, Mark Miller, Gagandeep Kang, Eric R Houpt Background Most studies of the causes of diarrhoea in low-income and middle-income countries have looked at severe disease in people presenting for care, and there are few estimates of pathogen-specific diarrhoea burdens in the community. Methods We undertook a birth cohort study with not only intensive community surveillance for diarrhoea but also routine collection of non-diarrhoeal stools from eight sites in South America, Africa, and Asia. We enrolled children within 17 days of birth, and diarrhoeal episodes (defined as maternal report of three or more loose stools in 24 h, or one loose stool with visible blood) were identified through twice-weekly home visits by fieldworkers over a follow-up period of 24 months. Non-diarrh...
Source: The Lancet Global Health - Category: Global & Universal Source Type: research