Prevalence of Staphylococcal Diarrhea in some Developing African Countries

Abstract

BackgroundStaphylococcal diarrhea is a common gastro intestinal illness caused majorly by poor water supply and unhygienic food preparation. Although, about 70% of diarrheal cases per year have been attributed to the consumption of contaminated foods, in Africa, few studies have reported the incidence of Staphylococcus‐related diarrhea and the implicated virulence factors.ObjectivesTo investigate the implications of common factors such as enterotoxin production, enzyme production, inadequate sanitary conditions, type of food and use of antibiotics on the burden of staphylococcal diarrhea.MethodsA literature search was performed using Pubmed, Googlescholar, American society for microbiology (ASM) journals and other sources. The quality of studies was assessed. Adjusted odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the occurrence of staphylococcus aureus amongst other causes were extracted. For each study, a multivariate logistic regression analysis of the adjusted odds ratio was performed to identify the risk factors on the burden of staphylococcal diarrhea.FindingsSeven case‐control studies were included in the meta–analysis. Quality of individual studies rages from 0.57–0.84 (median, 0.69). Meta‐analysis based on burden of staphylococcal diarrhea gave pooled odds ratios 3.27 (95% CI; 2.88–4.17). The results identified inadequate sanitary conditions and type of foods as the risk factors for the burden of staphylococcal diarrhea in Africa.ConclusionImproved personal and environmental hygiene should be intensified through health education to enhance good living conditions.Support or Funding InformationSupported by Institutional Resources of USAT, the Einstein Institute and the University of Lagos