About this Research Topic
Despite substantial improvement in sanitation status, diarrhoea is still a serious public health challenge, especially among children younger than 5 years. As estimated, in 2015, diarrhoea was a leading cause of death among all ages (1·31 million deaths), as well as a common cause of death among children under 5 years old (499 000 deaths) worldwide. Malnutrition and unsafe water are two leading risk factors for diarrhoea. Unfortunately, the burden of this preventable disease remains as a serious issue in poor nations. Some pathogens, such as Rotavirus, Shigella spp, and Cryptosporidium spp, were among the major cause of diarrhoea.
Measuring the burden of diarrhoeal diseases is important for health policymakers and health authorities to plan for the future health programs at the national, local or global scales. Defining the causes of diarrhoea is important for screening, prevention and treatment strategies. For example, some pathogens (e.g., Cryptosporidium) have a zoonotic nature, hence, it needs a "one health" approach for prevention. Immunocompromised individuals (e.g., HIV/AIDS, patients with malignancies and who received immunosuppressive therapies) are at higher risk of prolonged diarrhoea, therefore, especial strategies for this high-risk group are needed. Coinfection of pathogens is another important factor for diarrhoea, which could intensify the disease severity and complicate the treatment and control. Understanding each cause of diarrhoea and their risk factors provide roadmaps for screening, preventions, and treatment strategies.
The aim of the Research Topic is to provide new insights into the burden of diarrhoeal diseases. The selected topics are (but not limited to):
• Burden of diarrhoeal diseases at local or global scales
• Risk factors of diarrhoeal diseases
• Zoonotic pathogens causing diarrhoeal diseases
• Diarrhoeal diseases in immunocompromised patients
• Diarrhoeal diseases in children younger than 5 years
• Coinfection of pathogens in diarrhoeal diseases
Measuring the burden of diarrhoeal diseases is important for health policymakers and health authorities to plan for the future health programs at the national, local or global scales. Defining the causes of diarrhoea is important for screening, prevention and treatment strategies. For example, some pathogens (e.g., Cryptosporidium) have a zoonotic nature, hence, it needs a "one health" approach for prevention. Immunocompromised individuals (e.g., HIV/AIDS, patients with malignancies and who received immunosuppressive therapies) are at higher risk of prolonged diarrhoea, therefore, especial strategies for this high-risk group are needed. Coinfection of pathogens is another important factor for diarrhoea, which could intensify the disease severity and complicate the treatment and control. Understanding each cause of diarrhoea and their risk factors provide roadmaps for screening, preventions, and treatment strategies.
The aim of the Research Topic is to provide new insights into the burden of diarrhoeal diseases. The selected topics are (but not limited to):
• Burden of diarrhoeal diseases at local or global scales
• Risk factors of diarrhoeal diseases
• Zoonotic pathogens causing diarrhoeal diseases
• Diarrhoeal diseases in immunocompromised patients
• Diarrhoeal diseases in children younger than 5 years
• Coinfection of pathogens in diarrhoeal diseases
Keywords: diarrhoea, Burden of Diseases, DALY, Immunocompromised host, zoonosis.
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