Acute gastroenteritis is a frequent childhood disease. The purpose of this study is to determine if certain pathogens are related to more severe clinical disease in children with acute gastroenteritis.

Two hundred seventy one stool samples were obtained from pediatric patients with acute gastroenteritis that was associated with virus, bacteria and protozoa infection between January 2006 and December 2006. The clinical severity was assessed by using the 24 point scale Clark score. We evaluate the Clark score according to the pathogens.

One hundred thirty seven children were noted to have virus, bacteria or protozoal infection. Rotavirus was the most common pathogen found in the children with gastroenteritis (20.6%). Other frequent pathogens were norovirus (10.7%) and E. coli (12.9%). Vomiting (P=0.049) and diarrhea (P=0.003) symptoms were more frequent in the rotavirus group than that in the rotavirus negative group. There were no statistical differences in the Clark score between the virus positive group and the virus negative group.

We concluded that rotavirus was the most common pathogen in children with gastroenteritis, yet the clinical severity was not dependent on the presence of viral or bacterial pathogens.