OBJECTIVE:

To investigate the occurrence of bacterial enteric pathogens in the etiology of acute diarrheal disease (ADD) in association with clinical and epidemiological aspects in children under 5 years old attended in healthcare units in Rio Branco, Acre State, Brazil, in 2012.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

The study analyzed data obtained from clinical and epidemiological records of 502 children, 272 ADD cases and 230 controls. The frequency of each enteropathogen and the association with the socioeconomic conditions of the children were verified using chi-square test and Fisher’s exact test, with a significance level of 0.05 (5%), and BioEstat v5.0 software.

RESULTS:

The most frequent bacteria in both groups were diarrheagenic Escherichia coli (80.2%), Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli (9.0%), Shigella spp. (5.6%), and Salmonella spp. (4.0%). There was a significant correlation between the occurrence of E. coli and ADD (p < 0.001). The temporal distribution of diarrheagenic E. coli was higher in November and December (rainy season). The correlation between family income and the clinical group was statistically significant (p < 0.00051). Regarding housing conditions, a higher risk was observed when the frequency of garbage collection was irregular. The risk of the child developing ADD was greater when mothers were between 14 and 19 years of age.

CONCLUSION:

It was verified that cases of ADD in children under 5 years old in Rio Branco were related to the circulation of bacterial enteric pathogens, especially diarrheagenic E. coli.

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