PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases (Feb 2015)

High prevalence of Tropheryma whipplei in Lao kindergarten children.

  • Alpha Kabinet Keita,
  • Audrey Dubot-Pérès,
  • Koukeo Phommasone,
  • Bountoy Sibounheuang,
  • Manivanh Vongsouvath,
  • Mayfong Mayxay,
  • Didier Raoult,
  • Paul N Newton,
  • Florence Fenollar

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0003538
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 9, no. 2
p. e0003538

Abstract

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BackgroundTropheryma whipplei is a bacterium commonly found in feces of young children in Africa, but with no data from Asia. We estimated the prevalence of T. whipplei carriage in feces of children in Lao PDR (Laos).Methods/principal findingsUsing specific quantitative real-time PCR, followed by genotyping for each positive specimen, we estimated the prevalence of T. whipplei in 113 feces from 106 children in Vientiane, the Lao PDR (Laos). T. whipplei was detected in 48% (51/106) of children. Those aged ≤ 4 years were significantly less frequently positive (17/52, 33%) than older children (34/54, 63%; pConclusions/significanceT. whipplei is a widely distributed bacterium, highly prevalent in feces of healthy children in Laos. Further research is needed to identify the public health significance of this finding.