Affiliations: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Faculty of Applied
Medical Sciences, Al Azhar University-Gaza, Gaza, Palestine | Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science,
Al Aqsa University-Gaza, Gaza, Palestine | Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science,
Al Azhar University-Gaza, Gaza, Palestine
Note: [] Correspondence: Nahed Al Laham PhD, Department of Laboratory
Medicine, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Al Azhar University, Gaza, P.O.
Box 1277, Gaza, Palestine. Tel.: +970 599 560533; Fax: + 970 8 2641888; E-mail:
dr.allaham@hotmail.com, n.lahamm@alazhar-gaza.edu
Abstract: Gastroenteritis is one of the leading causes of illness and death in
children under five-years old, especially in developing countries. It is also
one of the leading causes of deaths among this population in Gaza strip. This
study conducted to determine the incidence of different enteric pathogens
causing community gastroenteritis among kindergarten children in Gaza. One
hundred and fifty stool samples were collected and investigated for parasitic,
viral, and bacterial pathogens at Al Azhar microbiology laboratories using
standard microbiological and serological procedures. Out of the 150 study
population, the overall percentage of positive stool samples with a known
enteric pathogen was 60.6%. The incidence of different enteric pathogens
causing community gastroenteritis in diarrhea cases was significantly higher
than in controls (88.5% versus 11.1%). The most prevalent enteric pathogens
isolated were Entamoeba histolytica and Giardia lamblia (28%, 26.7%
respectively). Rotavirus was found in 3.1% of cases but not detected in
controls; adenovirus types 40 and 41 were not detected. The bacterial enteric
pathogens Shigella and Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 (EHEC) had
similar rates as rotavirus (3.1%); no Salmonella was found. 7.4% of children
had more than one pathogen detected. This study demonstrated a high percentage
of parasitic enteropathogens and a relatively low percentage of bacterial and
viral enteropathogens among kindergarten children. Children aged three had the
highest incidence of isolated enteropathogens.
Keywords: Community gastroenteritis, causative agents, kindergarten, Gaza
