Abstract
Acute gastroenteritis (AGE) is among the most common infectious diseases all over the world. Campylobacter, Salmonella and Shigella species are among the first bacterial agents of AGE. In this study, it was aimed to determine the prevelance of Campylobacter, Salmonella and Shigella by culture method and molecular method in stool samples sent to our laboratory and to compare both methods. Samples of adult and pediatric patients who applied to the Namık Kemal University Medical Faculty Hospital with the complaint of diarrhea between 2019-2020 were included. Stool samples were studied by conventional culture methods and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method for the detection of Campylobacter, Salmonella and Shigella species. In our study, stool samples of 400 (77% adults, 23% children) patients were evaluated. In the evaluation of the samples by culture, agents were detected in 14 samples (3.5%), 10 (2.5%) were Campylobacter spp., 4 (1%) were Salmonella spp, Shigella spp. could not be isolated. By culture method, Campylobacter spp. and Salmonella spp. prevalence was 6.5% and 2.2% in children, and 1.3% and 0.7% in adults, respectively. In the evaluation of the samples by PCR, the causative agent was found in 38 samples (9.6%); Campylobacter spp. was found in 33 (8.3%) and Salmonella spp. was found in 5 (1.3%) samples, Shigella spp. not detected. The same causative microorganism was detected in the PCR method in all 14 stool samples with growth in the culture. In 24 samples, no growth was detected in the culture, only by PCR method, Campylobacter spp. or Salmonella spp. detected. Although stool culture is the gold standard method in the diagnosis of AGE, as a result of our research, PCR was found to be advantageous to culture because of its rapid results and high detection rate. Therefore, we believe that it would be beneficial to use molecular methods in routine diagnosis.