Prevalence of enteric bacterial pathogens in diarrheic under-five children and their association with the nutritional status in Bahir Dar Zuria District, Northwest Ethiopia

BACKGROUND: Diarrheal disease is one of the leading causes of child mortality in low and middle-income countries. Low nutritional status and bacterial infections contribute to growth deficiency and death in children. But there is a gap in identifying the bacterial etiology of diarrheal diseases and their association with the nutritional status of under-five children. This study aimed to determine the bacterial etiology of diarrheal diseases and their association with the nutritional status of diarrheic under-five children. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out from February 2021 to March 2022 at seven Health Centers in Bahir Dar Zuria district, Ethiopia. A total of 196 diarrheic under-five children visiting the health centers were included in the study. Stool samples were collected from each child for the isolation of Salmonella, Shigella, and E.coli O157:H7. The demographic characteristics and symptoms of children were obtained from parents/guardians. The weight, height, and age of each child were recorded and anthropometric indices were determined by WHO Anthro version 3.2.2 software. The association between bacterial prevalence and the nutritional status of children was analyzed by SPSS version 26 software using Binary logistic regression. All analyses were conducted at a 95% confidence interval and significant association was determined using a p-value < 0.05. RESULTS: Of the total children included in the study, 13.1% had either E.coli O157:H7, Shigella, or Salmonella. Watery diarrhea and fever were the most clinical characteristics observed in children who are positive for enteric bacteria. The prevalence of stunted, underweight, and wasted was 56.6%, 24.4%, and 13.2% respectively. Children with wasting were significantly associated with Salmonella detection (OR = 7.2, CI, 1.38–38.1, P = 0.02) whereas stunted and underweight were not associated with bacterial prevalence. CONCLUSION: Overall, the prevalence of bacterial pathogens in the study area is high. Stunting, wasting, and being underweight are important nutritional deficits of diarrheic under-five children in the study site. Further studies targeting possible sources of bacteria and determinants of malnutrition in children are suggested. Health sectors found in the district should increase their effort to enhance good nutritional practice through health education and treatment of malnourished children by the provision of micronutrients.