Aetiology and clinical features of dysentery in children aged <5 years in rural Bangladesh

The study identified the common aetiological agents and prominent clinical features of dysentery cases in children aged <5 years and compared this to non-dysentery diarrhoeal cases from the same population. From January 2010 to December 2011, 2324 children aged <5 years received treatment at Kumudini Hospital, of which 682 (29%) presented with dysentery. Of the dysenteric children, aetiology could not be determined for over half (61%). Shigella spp. accounted for 32% of dysentery cases. Significant associations were found between presence of blood in stool and: child age (24-59 months) [odds ratio (OR) 221, 95% confidence interval (CI) 149-327], no treatment of drinking water at home (OR 200, 95% CI 109-367), vomiting (OR 019, 95% CI 014-025), abdominal pain (OR 468, 95% CI 324-677), straining (OR 1645, 95% CI 1192-2269), wasting (OR 166, 95% CI 115-241), and presence of Shigella in stool (OR 625, 95% CI 420-929) after controlling for confounders. This study makes it clear that appropriate public health strategies are needed to reduce the burden of dysentery in Bangladesh.