Socio-demographic characteristics
A total of 263 diarrheic pediatric patients from Alamura Health Center was enrolled for the study with a mean and standard deviation of age 6.8 ±3.7 years. The frequency and percentage of pediatrics age range enrolled for the study were, 0-4, 88(33.5%), 5-9, 103(39.2%) and 10-14, 72 (27.4%). The almost equal ration of male to female enrolled for the study (130:133). Regarding the residence, most of the study subjects 155(58.9%) were from Urban area and 108(41.1) was from rural. Concerning the pediatrics’ mother educational status most of them (81%) were educated which was included from reading and writing to university graduate level the rest 19 % are illiterates. The marital status of their mother 178 (67.7 %) was married, 43(16.3%) divorced and 41(15.6 %) widowed. The mean and standard deviation of the family size was 5.6± 1.9 persons. The average income of the family was 3743.3 ± 2568.1 Ethiopian birr. Most of the study participants have a large family size with relatively low income earned <1500 birr per month from this number diarrhea positive was 12(57.1%) (Table 2).
The magnitude of Shigella and Salmonella
The overall magnitude of Shigella and Salmonella among diarrheic pediatrics patients in Alamura Health Center was 8.0% (21/263) 95% CI (4.6-11.4%). Shigella Spp isolated from 7.6% (20/263)95 % CI [4.6 -11.0] of children. Shigella dysentery was frequently isolated from 4.2% (11/263) 95 % CI [1.9 -6.8] followed by other Shigella spp 3.42% (9/263), 95% CI [1.5 -5.7] and Salmonella spp 0.4% (1/263) 95 % CI [.0-1.1]. In the rest, 92% (242/263) diarrheic pediatrics patients’ Shigella and Salmonella were not isolated (Fig.1).
Antimicrobial susceptibility pattern
Salmonella typhi
There was only one Salmonella typhi isolated. It was sensitive for ciprofloxacin, gentamicin, ceftazidime, chloramphenicol, cefuroxime, ceftriaxone and co-trimoxazole and resistance for ampicillin and tetracycline.
Other Shigella species
Shigellaspp isolate was 100.0% senstive to both ceftriaxone and ciprofloxacin, 77.8% for both ceftazidime and chloramphenicol, were as 66.7% for cefuroxime and 55.6% for gentamycin. Resistance was seen 81.8% for ampicillin, 72.7% for tetracycline, and 55.6% for both co-trimoxazole and augmentin.
Shigella dysentery
Shigella dysentery isolate was 100% susceptible for gentamicin, 90.9 % for ciprofloxacin, 90% for ceftazidime, 72% for both ceftriaxone and chloramphenicol. Resistance was seen 45.5% for ampicillin, 55% for co-trimoxazole, 72.7% for tetracycline and 91% for augmentin (Table 1).
Associated risk factors
Among the study participant, 162 (61.6 %) of them had a history of diarrhea, of this 17(81.0%) were positive for current infection. Of all diarrheic children, the type of diarrhea was watery for 111(42.2%), mucoid for 103(39.3%) and bloody for 49(18.6%). Children with mucoid diarrhea affected more that are 13 (61.9%) as compared to the rest patients. Most of the children 170(64.6%) had diarrhea once in a day and most of the bacteria 11(52.4%) was isolated form this patient. Most of the children used a piped water 159 (60.9%), similarly, the children in these categories were infected more 17 (81.0%).
Regarding hand wash, after defecation, most of the children practised hand wash after toilet always 221 (84.0%) but those who practised hand wash sometimes was infected more 20 (95.2%). Most of the food taken by the children before the illness was cooked food 82(31.2%) even if the bacterial infection was dominantly isolated from children that feed overnight food 8(38.1%). Most of the children enrolled for the study was those who store their food in closed container 223(84.8 %), lack habit of hand wash before and after meal 178(67.7%), had habit of washing of food container 157(59.7 %), those are well-nourished 238(90.5 %), those who had vaccinated 202 (76.8%), and had animal contact 137(52.1%). Correspondingly, most of the bacteria were isolated from those who store food in an open container 16(76.2%), lack of habit of hand wash after or before meal 15 (71.4 %), washing of food container for sometimes 17(81.0 %), well-nourished 18 (85.7%), vaccinated 14(66.7%) and had animal contacts 13(61.9%) (Table 2).
The bivariate analyses indicates that family with monthly income >1500 (COR = 2.250, 95% CI, 0.86 - 5.902, p = .099), educational status of mother that can able read and write (COR = 5.170, 95% CI, 0.62 - 43.05, p = .129), those had previous history of diarrhea (COR = 0.35, 95% CI, 0.115 -0 .078, p = .067), watery diarrheal type (COR = 11.69, 95% CI, 0.988 - 138.44, p = .051), mucoid (COR = 16.75, 95% CI, 2.130-131.67, p = .007). Similarly, those who used pipe water source (COR = 2.993, 95% CI, 0.978 - 9.16, p = .055). Who wash the hands of their child sometime (COR= 200.0, 95% CI, 25.602-1562.348, p = .000). Store food in open containers (COR = 29.1, 95% CI, 9.78 - 86.37, p = .000) and had washing habit of food containers sometimes (COR=7.306 , 95% CI, 2.38 - 22.4, p = .001) was candidate variables for multivariable analysis with p - value ≤ 0.25 (Table 2).
However, in multivariate analysis, after adjustment, those who had a habit of washing the hands of children after toilet (AOR = 235.1, 95% CI, 20.9 - 2643.3, P = .000) and store cooked food in open container (AOR = 36.44, 95% CI, 5.82 - 228.06, P = .000) showed statistically significant association for Shigella and Salmonella infection with p - value ≤ .05. However, factors like the type of diarrhea, history of contact with domestic animals, a habit of hand washing before and after a meal, and washing of food container were not statically significant associated factors (Table 3).