Prevalence ofCampylobacter jejuniAmong Severely Malnourished Nigerian Children

Abstract

Nutritional status and gastroenteritis in 385 children aged 6 to 72 months in lle-lfe, Nigeria were studied. More than 75% of the children showed anthropometric and clinical evidence of chronic or acute protein-calorie malnutrition. The clinical diagnosis was kwashiorkor, marasmic kwashiorkor, or marasmus. Campylobacter jejuni was the predominant pathogenic microorganism isolated from stool specimens. Preventive and curative health measures, plus good nutritional services, clearly need to be made more available in these communities.