Calf diarrhea is a commonly reported disease in young animals, and still a major cause of productivity and economic loss to cattle producers worldwide. In the report of the 2007 National Animal Health Monitoring System for U.S. dairy, half of the deaths among unweaned calves was attributed to diarrhea. Multiple pathogens are known or postulated to cause or contribute to calf diarrhea development. Other factors including both the environment and management practices influence disease severity or outcomes. The multifactorial nature of calf diarrhea makes this disease hard to control effectively in modern cow-calf operations. The purpose of this review is to provide a better understanding of a) the ecology and pathogenesis of well-known and potential bovine enteric pathogens implicated in calf diarrhea, b) describe diagnostic tests used to detect various enteric pathogens along with their pros and cons, and c) propose improved intervention strategies for treating calf diarrhea.
Animals ; Cattle ; *Cattle Diseases/diagnosis/drug therapy/microbiology/prevention & control ; Diarrhea/diagnosis/microbiology/prevention & control/*veterinary

Methicillin resistant Staphylococcal aureus (MRSA) enterocolitis is characterized by high fever, abdominal distension, and watery diarrhea that leads to severe dehydration, shock, a sharp decrease in the white cell counts and sometimes multiple organ failure. Clinically, it can be an another cause of nosocomial diarrhea. If MRSA enteritis is suspected from the clinical symptoms, prompt treatment and strict prophylactic measures including vancomycin, are most important for its management. We recently observed a case of MRSA enterocolitis as a nosocomial infection in a patient with acute pancreatitis. This patient showed uncontrolled massive diarrhea, fever, and multiple organ failure. We report a case of MRSA enterocolitis with a review of literatures.
Cross Infection/diagnosis/*microbiology ; Diarrhea/etiology/*microbiology ; Enterocolitis/complications/diagnosis/*microbiology ; Humans ; Male ; *Methicillin Resistance ; Middle Aged ; *Staphylococcal Infections/diagnosis

Child ; China ; Diarrhea ; diagnosis ; microbiology ; Escherichia coli Infections ; diagnosis ; Humans ; Shiga-Toxigenic Escherichia coli ; isolation & purification

Aged ; Clostridium difficile ; Diarrhea ; microbiology ; Enterocolitis, Pseudomembranous ; complications ; diagnosis ; Humans ; Male

OBJECTIVETo observe the changes of intestinal flora in diarrhea type irritable bowel syndrome with Pi-wei dampness-heat syndrome (IBS-PDS).

METHODSThe seven kinds of common intestinal bacteria in feces, including enteri bacillus, enterococci, saccharomycete, bifid bacteria, lactobacillus, bacteroides and peptococcus were studied in 21 patients suffered from IBS-PDS, and compared with those in 22 patients with IBS with deficiency of Pi syndrome (DPS) and 25 healthy subjects as control.

RESULTSAs compared with the healthy subjects, the levels of enteri bacillus and enterococci were significantly increased (P<0.01), the levels of bifid bacteria, Lactobacillus and Peptococcus were significantly decreased (P < 0.01), and saccharomycete and Bacteroides were insignificantly different in patients with PDS. As compared with patients with DPS, the levels of enteri bacillus, enterococci, bifid bacteria, Lactobacillus, Peptococcus and Bacteroidaceae were significantly increased except the level of saccharomycete.

CONCLUSIONThere may be alteration of intestinal flora in patients with IBS-PDS.

Adult ; Bifidobacterium ; isolation & purification ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Diarrhea ; etiology ; microbiology ; Enterobacteriaceae ; isolation & purification ; Female ; Humans ; Intestines ; microbiology ; Irritable Bowel Syndrome ; complications ; microbiology ; Lactobacillus ; isolation & purification ; Male ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Middle Aged

Abdominal Pain ; diagnosis ; Acute Disease ; Adult ; Bacterial Infections ; classification ; diagnosis ; microbiology ; Body Temperature ; China ; epidemiology ; Diarrhea ; diagnosis ; microbiology ; Feces ; cytology ; Female ; Humans ; Leukocytes ; cytology ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Risk Factors ; Young Adult

No abstract available.
Aged, 80 and over ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology ; Campylobacter hyointestinalis/drug effects/*genetics/isolation & purification ; Diarrhea/diagnosis/microbiology ; Feces/*microbiology ; Gastroenteritis/diagnosis/microbiology ; Humans ; Male ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/analysis/genetics/metabolism ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The direct toxic effects of antibiotics on the intestine can alter digestive functions and cause pathogenic bacterial overgrowth leading to antibiotic-associated diarrhea (AAD). Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) is widely known to be responsible for 10~20% of AAD cases. However, Klebsiella oxytoca, Clostridium perfringens, Staphylococcus aureus, and Candida species might also contribute to AAD. METHODS: We prospectively analyzed the organisms in stool and colon tissue cultures with a C. difficile toxin A assay in patients with AAD between May and December 2005. In addition, we performed the C. difficile toxin A assays using an enzyme-linked fluorescent assay technique. Patients were enrolled who had diarrhea with more than three stools per day for at least 2 days after the initiation of antibiotic treatment for up to 6~8 weeks after antibiotic discontinuation. RESULTS: Among 38 patients (mean age 59+/-18 years, M:F=18:20), the organism isolation rates were 28.9% (11/38) for stool culture, 18.4% (7/38) for colon tissue cultures and 13.2% (5/38) for the C. difficile toxin A assay. The overall rate of identification of organisms was 50.0% (19/38). Of the five patients that had a positive result by the C. difficile toxin A assay, two had no organism isolated by the stool or colon tissue culture. The organisms isolated from the stool cultures were C. difficile (4), Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae) (3), Candida species (3), and Staphylococcus aureus (1). C. difficile (4) and K. pneumoniae (3) were isolated from the colon tissue culture. CONCLUSIONS: For C. difficile negative AAD patients, K. pneumoniae, Candida species, and Staphylococcus aureus were found to be potential causative organisms.
Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/*adverse effects ; Candida/isolation & purification ; Clostridium difficile/isolation & purification ; Diarrhea/diagnosis/*etiology/microbiology ; Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal ; Female ; Humans ; Klebsiella pneumoniae/isolation & purification ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prospective Studies ; Staphylococcus aureus/isolation & purification

INTRODUCTIONNorovirus gastrointestinal disease (GID) outbreaks occur frequently in closed settings, with high attack rates. On October 16, 2008, a norovirus GID outbreak occurred at a Singapore military camp. This study describes the epidemiological investigations conducted to determine the cause of outbreak and the efficacy of the public health measures implemented.

METHODSEpidemiologic investigations included a case-control study of exposure to different food items and an environmental exposure survey. Stool samplings of patients and food handlers for common pathogens, and microbiologic testing of food and water samples were performed. Inspection of dining facilities and health screening of all food-handlers were also conducted.

RESULTSA total of 156 GID cases were reported on October 15-31, 2008. 24 (15.4%) personnel were positive for norovirus. The predominant symptoms were diarrhoea (76.3%) and abdominal pain (69.2%). There was no clinical correlation between any food item and the affected personnel. Testing of food and water samples, dining facility inspections and health screening of food handlers showed satisfactory results. The environmental exposure survey indicated possible transmission due to environmental contamination by vomitus in common areas. Comprehensive environmental decontamination was performed with hypochlorite solution, and personal hygiene measures were enforced. The outbreak lasted 17 days, with a decline in cases post intervention.

CONCLUSIONTimely notification and prompt response can curtail disease transmission. Swift implementation of public health measures, such as emphasis on personal hygiene, isolation of affected cases and comprehensive disinfection of the environment, effectively stopped norovirus transmission and may be adapted for future GID outbreaks.

Acute Disease ; Adolescent ; Caliciviridae Infections ; diagnosis ; epidemiology ; Case-Control Studies ; Communicable Disease Control ; methods ; Diarrhea ; virology ; Disease Outbreaks ; statistics & numerical data ; Feces ; virology ; Food Handling ; Gastroenteritis ; epidemiology ; virology ; Humans ; Male ; Military Facilities ; Norovirus ; isolation & purification ; Singapore ; epidemiology ; Water Microbiology ; Young Adult

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence and risk factors of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in community subjects with culture-proven bacterial gastroenteritis. METHODS: This was a prospective, community-based, cohort study, which followed patients with a recent history of culture-proven bacterial gastroenteritis. IBS was diagnosed with the use of the Rome II criteria at 3 and 6 months after bacterial dysentery. RESULTS: Sixty five cases were included and completed the 6 month follow-up. Thirty four cases (52.3%) were female. Salmonella was the pathogen most frequently identified and seen in 41 patients (63.1%). The cumulative incidence of IBS among patients with microbiologically proven bacterial gastroenteritis within a community was 9.2% and 12.3% at 3 and 6 months of follow-up, respectively. The duration of initial diarrhea (> or =7 days) was associated with an increased risk for the development of IBS (aOR, 14.50 [95% CI, 1.38-152.72]; p=0.022). CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that the incidence of IBS among patients with culture-proven bacterial gastroenteritis within a community is similar to that reported among Western populations. A large, prospective study is encouraged to confirm our results and to evaluate the influence of the microbial species on the epidemiology of IBS in Asian populations.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Cohort Studies ; Diarrhea/complications ; Dysentery/complications ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gastroenteritis/*complications/epidemiology/microbiology ; Humans ; Incidence ; Irritable Bowel Syndrome/*diagnosis/epidemiology/etiology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Odds Ratio ; Prospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Salmonella/isolation & purification ; Shigella/isolation & purification ; Young Adult