Campylobacteriosis is an acute gastroenteritis characterized by diarrhea (which could be
bloody), fever and abdominal cramps. Campylobacter is becoming a leading cause of bacterial
diarrheal disease worldwide. Campylobacter is a food born pathogen that can transmit to
children through unhygienic practices by mother during feeding, through contact with pets, or
consumption of raw milk, milk products, vegetables, undercooked poultry meat and
contaminated water. It can leads to fetal outcome in children. Post infection complications can
lead to reactive arthritis, irritable bowel syndrome and Guillain Barre Syndrome (GBS). So the
study was design to measure the prevalence and associated risk factors of Campylobacteriosis
among children suffering from acute diarrhea in a tertiary care hospital in Lahore.
A total of 41 stool samples were collected through systematic random sampling from
children having complaint of acute diarrhea visiting a tertiary care hospital (MAYO Hospital) in
Lahore. The samples were transported within 6 hours of collection and cultured on modified
charcoal cefparazone deoxycholate agar and incubated at 42ᴼC for 42 hours for isolation of
Campylobacter. Then the samples were purified and various biochemical tests as catalase,3.5%
NaCl stress, and 1% glycine stress were performed. Out of 41 samples 7 showed no growth on
charcoal agar. Out of 34 samples that showed growth on charcoal agar 14 were positive
biochemically. So the prevalence was found to be 34%.
Data was analyzed by using SPSS 16.0 version. Descriptive statistics was applied to
check the frequencies of different risk factors. Risk factors like sociodemographics and other risk
factors related to hygiene as house member suffering from diarrhea, playing of child in muddy
areas, use of raw milk, bottle feeding, use of common latrines, washing of latrines, presence of
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pets in house, access of pets to kitchen, restaurant eating and travelling to any other area were
studied. Chi square test was applied to check the association of different risk factors with
Campylobacteriosis. Three factors as washing of hands by mother before preparing food,
frequency of washing of latrines and consumption of food from restaurant before onset of illness
were found to be associated with the Campylobacteriosis.
Campylobacteriosis is an important disease of children which is underestimated in
Pakistan due to deficient knowledge in subject and financial constraints. Adequate awareness of
hand washing, good hygiene, proper cooking of food and boiling of drinking water can be
important in preventing infection. Careful attention should be given on the disease and further
studies should be conducted about the disease to study upcoming status of the disease .