RESEARCH ARTICLE Enteric Bacterial Pathogens in Children with Diarrhea in Niger: Diversity and Antimicrobial Resistance

Background Although rotavirus is the leading cause of severe diarrhea among children in sub-Saharan Africa, better knowledge of circulating enteric pathogenic bacteria and their antimicrobial re-sistance is crucial for prevention and treatment strategies. Methodology/Principal Findings As a part of rotavirus gastroenteritis surveillance in Maradi, Niger, we performed stool cul-ture on a sub-population of children under 5 with moderate-to-severe diarrhea between April 2010 and March 2012. Campylobacter, Shigella and Salmonella were sought with con-ventional culture and biochemical methods. Shigella and Salmonella were serotyped by slide agglutination. Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) were screened by slide ag-glutination with EPEC O-typing antisera and confirmed by detection of virulence genes. An-timicrobial susceptibility was determined by disk diffusion. We enrolled 4020 children, including 230 with bloody diarrhea. At least one pathogenic bacterium was found in 28.0% of children with watery diarrhea and 42.2 % with bloody diarrhea. Mixed infections wer