Persistent digestive disorders and their association with bacterial, parasitic and viral pathogens in Dabou, south Côte d’Ivoire

Plain English summary of protocol

Background and study aims
Diarrhoea continues to be a major public health problem, particularly in tropical and subtropical countries. While acute diarrhoea has been extensively studied, few studies have focused on the diagnosis and treatment of long-lasting diarrhoeal episodes (14 days and longer). Many pathogens could possibly be involved, including more than 30 bacterial, parasitic and viral infectious agents. However, the most relevant pathogens in tropical settings still need to be identified. The main aim of this study is to find out whether a study setting in Dabou, south Côte d’Ivoire might be suitable to serve as study site in a multi-country investigation to assess persistent diarrhoea in Africa and Asia. To do this, we will look at the prevalence of a wide range of pathogens and selected bacteria in people with and without symptoms of diarrhoea.

Who can participate?
Individuals aged over 12 months who live in the city of Dabou or one of 11 surrounding villages.

What does the study involve?
Symptomatic patients presenting with persistent diarrhoea (14 days or more, as assessed by trained medical staff) will be assigned to the symptomatic group, while asymptomatic patients without any gastrointestinal complaints at time of enrolment and in the four preceding weeks will be assigned to the control group. All participants will be examined with standardised, quality-controlled tests. A small amount of stool will be stored and a subset of samples will be tested for several different types of bacteria, parasites and viruses. Finally, a questionnaire survey will be conducted.

What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
A detailed laboratory diagnostic assessment of stool samples for various pathogens will be offered to all study participants. If a helminth or a symptomatic intestinal protozoon infection is diagnosed, free treatment will be offered to the infected individual, according to national guidelines. All personnel who will perform medical examinations and treatment will be qualified and well experienced (i.e., medical doctors, nurses and technicians who are well acquainted to do this type of work). All methods applied within the study are routinely used in the field, the laboratories and the hospitals and therefore do not place participants under any specific risk. The treatment with the medication in case of parasitic infection will be done following national guidelines. These treatments might result in side effects (e.g., headache), but these are usually mild and disappear after a short while.

Where is the study run from?
The study will be conducted in the Hôpital Méthodiste de Dabou, located in south Côte d’Ivoire (about 40 km west of Abidjan, the economic capital of Côte d’Ivoire).

When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
The study will start in October 2012 and will run for about 4 weeks. Detailed laboratory follow-up work might take up to 1 year.

Who is funding the study?
The study is funded by the NIDIAG network supported by the European Commission.

Who is the main contact?
Prof. Dr. Jürg Utzinger
juerg.utzinger@unibas.ch

Contact information

Study information

Eligibility

Locations

Countries of recruitment

• Côte d'Ivoire
• Switzerland

Study participating centre

Results and Publications

Study outputs

Editorial Notes

28/03/2019: Publication references added.