Synthetic medicine
LI Fangjun, YAN Guanghua
Objective: To explore the risk factors of viral diarrhea in infants and young children in Zaozhuang City, Shandong Province from 2022 to 2023, and to investigate its pathogenic characteristics. Method: A total of 183 infants and young children with viral diarrhea reported in Zaozhuang City, Shandong Province from January 2022 to December 2023 were included as the observation group, and 183 non viral diarrhea infants and young children during the same period were selected as the control group. A questionnaire survey was conducted on all guardians of the infants and young children, and univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted on the risk factors of viral diarrhea in infants and young children. At the same time, all fecal samples of the affected children will be examined to investigate their pathogenic characteristics. Result: The observation group had a higher proportion of infants and young children who sucked their fingers, had contact with diarrhea patients within 7 days, visited hospitals and clinics within 7 days, taken antibiotics within 7 days, had parents with a high school diploma or below, kept pets, had unpasteurized drinking water, unpasteurized tableware and dairy utensils, separated kitchen knives and utensils, and did not wash their hands before meals compared to the control group (P<0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that finger sucking in infants and young children, contact with diarrhea patients within 7 days, visits to hospitals and clinics within 7 days, use of antibiotics within 7 days, parents' education level of high school or below, and pet ownership were independent risk factors for viral diarrhea in infants and young children. Disinfection of drinking water, tableware and dairy utensils, separation of raw and cooked kitchen knives, and washing hands before meals by feeders/infants were protective factors . Among 183 infants and young children with viral diarrhea, single pathogen infection accounted for 84.15%, with Rotavirus (RV) infection being the most common, followed by Human ca-licivirus (HuCV) and Enteric Adenovirus (EAdV), mixed infection accounted for 15.85%, with RV combined with HuCV being the most common, followed by HuCV combined with Astrovirus (AstV) and RV combined with EAdV. Conclusion: The risk factors for viral diarrhea in infants and young children in this region in the past 2 years include a history of virus contact, antibiotic use, lack of health knowledge among parents, and poor living environment, while good hygiene habits are protective factors. Moreover, the pathogen is mainly rotavirus, and targeted preventive measures should be developed according to the situation in clinical practice.