2215. Diarrheal Illness as a Risk Factor for Subsequent Respiratory Infection Among Women and Infants in Nepal

Abstract

BackgroundGlobally, diarrheal and respiratory infections are responsible for nearly one-quarter of deaths in children under 5 years old. Historically these diseases have been studied separately; recent evidence suggests that preceding diarrheal disease may be a risk factor for subsequent respiratory illness. We sought to identify whether diarrhea was associated with subsequent respiratory illness in adult women and infants in Nepal.MethodsWe used data from a community-based, prospective randomized trial of maternal influenza immunization of pregnant women and their infants conducted in rural Nepal from 2011 to 2014. Diarrhea episodes were defined as at least three self-reported watery bowel movements per day for one or more days. Respiratory illness episodes were defined as the presence of fever with an additional respiratory symptom. Diarrhea and respiratory illness episodes were identified through longitudinal household-based weekly symptom surveillance. A case-crossover design was used to determine whether risk of respiratory infection was increased in the 30 days following a diarrhea episode compared with the 30 days prior.ResultsOf 3,693 women in the study and their 3,646 infants, 525 (14.2%) women experienced one or more episodes of diarrhea during pregnancy, 226 (9.4%) women experienced one or more episodes of diarrhea after pregnancy, and 342 (9.4%) infants had one or more episodes of diarrhea. The incidence of respiratory episodes during the exposure and control periods was approximately 2–5% in adults and 8–10% in infants. Preceding diarrhea was not significantly associated with respiratory infection in adult women or infants. There was a slight trend toward greater incidence of diarrhea during the exposure period among infants (Figure 1), but it was not statistically significant. These results held after a sensitivity analysis limiting follow-up time to 15 days before and after diarrhea episode.ConclusionIn this study of pregnant and postpartum women and their infants in Nepal, diarrheal illness was not a significant risk factor for subsequent respiratory illness. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.