Flashcard · Diarrhoea and Dehydration in Children

What are the infective causes of diarrhoea in children?

Answer

Viruses are commonest - rotavirus is the leading cause (also adenovirus, norovirus, astrovirus). Bacterial causes include E. coli, Shigella, Salmonella, Campylobacter, and cholera; parasitic causes include Giardia, amoebae, and Cryptosporidium.

Clinical relevance. Knowing that rotavirus leads viral causes explains why most childhood diarrhoea is self-limiting and needs no antibiotics.

More Detail

Infective causes of childhood diarrhoea

Most childhood diarrhoea is infective, and viruses predominate.

Viral (commonest)

Rotavirus - the leading cause of severe childhood gastroenteritis (vaccine-preventable).
Adenovirus, norovirus, astrovirus, calicivirus, coronavirus.

Bacterial

E. coli (including enterotoxigenic), Shigella, Salmonella, Campylobacter, Vibrio cholerae (cholera), Staphylococcus.

Parasitic

Giardia lamblia, Entamoeba (amoebae), Cryptosporidium.

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