Symptomatic and Asymptomatic Campylobacter Infections and Child Growth in South Asia: Analyzing Data from the Global Enteric Multicenter Study

Campylobacter is a major cause of food-borne gastrointestinal illnesses worldwide, predominantly affecting children under 5 years of age. This study examined potential associations of symptomatic (with diarrhea) and asymptomatic (without diarrhea) Campylobacter infections with child growth among chi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene 2023-06, Vol.108 (6), p.1204-1211
Main Authors: Hossain, Md Iqbal, Nasrin, Sabiha, Das, Rina, Palit, Parag, Sultana, Al-Afroza, Sobi, Rukaeya Amin, Khan, Soroar Hossain, Dash, Sampa, Chisti, Mohammod Jobayer, Ahmed, Tahmeed, Faruque, Abu Syed Golam
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Asia, Southern
Asymptomatic
Campylobacter
Campylobacter Infections - epidemiology
Child
Child, Preschool
Diarrhea - complications
Diarrhea - epidemiology
Feces
Foodborne Diseases
Gastrointestinal Tract
Humans
Infant
Infections
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Summary:Campylobacter is a major cause of food-borne gastrointestinal illnesses worldwide, predominantly affecting children under 5 years of age. This study examined potential associations of symptomatic (with diarrhea) and asymptomatic (without diarrhea) Campylobacter infections with child growth among children under 5 years of age in South Asia. The Global Enteric Multicenter Study was conducted from 2007 to 2011 with a case-control design. Children were followed for 60 days after enrollment. Stool culture was performed to isolate Campylobacter spp. Among the 22,567 enrolled children, 9,439 were symptomatic, with 786 (8.28%) testing positive for Campylobacter. Conversely, 13,128 asymptomatic healthy controls were included, with 1,057 (8.05%) testing positive for Campylobacter. Growth faltering was observed in the symptomatic group, particularly among children aged 0-11 months (-0.19 height-for-age z score [HAZ]; 95% CI: -0.36, -0.03; P = 0.018) and 24-59 months (-0.16 HAZ; 95% CI: -0.28, -0.04; P = 0.010). However, in the asymptomatic group, growth faltering was observed only in the 24- to 59-month age group, in terms of HAZ (-0.15 HAZ; 95% CI: -0.24, -0.05; P = 0.002) and weight-for-height z score (-0.16; 95% CI: -0.26, -0.06; P = 0.001). These findings underscore the importance of immediate and enhanced introduction of preventive modalities to reduce the burden of Campylobacter infections and reduce their long-term sequelae.
ISSN:0002-9637
1476-1645
DOI:10.4269/ajtmh.22-0347