ABSTRACT

A study on prevalence of bacterial gastroenteritis in children attending hospitals in Obowo Local government Area of Imo State, Nigeria was conducted in four hospitals in Obowo. They are Chukwunonyerern Hospital Umulogho, All Saints hospital Umuokeh, Cottage Hospital Avutu and Jasman Hospital umuariam. Sixty (60) stool samples from children aged 6months to 12 years were examined. The following bacteria were isolated namely: Excherichia coli. Salmonella species and shigella species. Excherichia coli had the highest overall prevalence rate of 63.6% followed by Salmonella species 25.5% prevalence rate and Shigella species had the least prevalence rate of 11 .00%. The prevalence of bacteria was higher in Chukwunonyerem Hospital followed by All Saints Hospital and then Cottage Hospital. 1'he age groups of 6 months to 3, 4 to 6 and 7 to 9 years recorded high prevalence rates of 56.30 %, 71.40%, 66.70% respectively for Escherichica coli and 3 1 .2%, 14.3% and 20.0% for a1monella species respectively and 12.5%, 14.3% and 13.3% for Shigella species. Males are more infected than females. The infection can be controlled through an integrated approach including environmental sanitation, personal hygiene, and treatment of water, proper cooking, health conditions, and pasteurization of milk, detection and isolation of carriers from the general public. Bacterial gastroenteritis are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in children worldwide, so practices that could lead this infectious should be avoided such as poor hygiene and contact with infected individuals.