ISOLATION OF ENTERIC PATHOGENS AND COLIFORM BACTERIA FROM INFANT FEEDING BOTTLE CONTENT IN ADDIS ABABA, ETHOIPIA

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Gastro-enteritis causing bacterial pathogens were studied in infant feeding bottlecontents collected from 244 feeding bottles which were brought to 5 clinics and 2 hospitals from January 1989 to November 1989 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The most frequent bacterial isolates were coliform which included Enterobacter spp. ,Klebsiella spp., faecal E.coli and Cotrobacter spp. Enteric pathogens like enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC), Shigella spp., and Staph. aureus, constituted respectively (3.3%), 1 (0.01 %),9 (2.2%) of the total isolates. Although the percent of isolation of enteric pathogens in this study is low, the frequent isolation of Coliform from samples of bottle-contents suggests that the bottle-feeding serves as a vehicle in transmission of the enteric pathogens in the studied population. Bottle-feeding mothers should be constantly taught on proper handling of feedingutensils and feeds. Above all the superior quality of breast milk needs to be emphasized to nursing mothers. Moreover, further and well controlled studies are also recommended to reduce diarrhoeal diseases in infant and young children.