Prevalence of Shigella, Salmonella, and Enteropathogenic Escherichia Coli in Six Mayan Villages

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Abstract
A survey of the general population was conducted during the period Nov. 1962-Jan. 1963, in 6 communities in the highlands of Guatemala, to ascertain if the Shiga bacillus, involved in an epidemic observed in 1 of the villages 1 year before was present in the neighboring villages. Over 700 children were swabbed, but the Shiga bacillus was not isolated in any of them. The prevalence of Shigella, during a season that is characterized by its low diarrhea morbidity, was shown to be high (7.7%), indicating that there has not been a change in the situation as determined through a previous study. The prevalence of Salmonella through low (1.5%) was high as compared to the rates reported previously. This increase was anticipated and resulted from modifications in the bacteriological procedures which were utilized. The rate of infection with Shigella increased with age, and was significantly higher in the 2 and 3 year old children. A significant trend in the prevalence of diarrhea (determined by interview) in the various age groups was observed, showing that diarrhea is more prevalent in the smaller children as are Shigella and Salmonella infections. A tendency for Shigella to be associated more frequently with diarrheic than with nondiarrheic cases was noticed, but no significance could be attached to this observation.

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