High Prevalence of Shigella or Enteroinvasive Escherichia coli Carriage among Residents of an Internally Displaced Persons Camp in South Sudan

Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2018 Feb;98(2):595-597. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.17-0339. Epub 2017 Nov 30.

Abstract

Displaced persons living in camps are at an increased risk of diarrheal diseases. Subclinical carriage of pathogens may contribute to the spread of disease, especially for microbes that require a low infectious dose. Multiplex real-time polymerase chain reaction was performed to detect a panel of 20 bacterial, viral, and protozoal targets, and we report a high prevalence of enteropathogen carriage, including Shigella spp. or enteroinvasive Escherichia coli in 14%, among a sample of 88 asymptomatic individuals in an internally displaced persons camp in South Sudan. Further studies are needed to determine the contribution of such carriage to the spread of disease.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Dysentery, Bacillary / epidemiology
  • Escherichia coli / pathogenicity
  • Escherichia coli Infections / epidemiology
  • Feces / microbiology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Male
  • Prevalence
  • Refugee Camps / statistics & numerical data
  • Refugees / statistics & numerical data*
  • Shigella / pathogenicity
  • South Sudan / epidemiology