Introduction
infections
CNS INFECTIONS, INFECTIONS
Early enteric infections in children in low-resource settings are an established risk factor for poor growth [This background formed the rationale for the Early Life Interventions for Childhood Growth and Development in Tanzania (ELICIT) trial, a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial of antimicrobial therapy provided to infants [Here, we examine the results of qPCR testing for 34 enteric pathogens on stool samples collected at five timepoints. Specifically, we tested stool collected at 6 months (prior to the first dose of azithromycin or placebo), 6.5 months (two weeks after receiving azithromycin or placebo), 12 months (3 months after receiving azithromycin or placebo), 12.5 months (2 weeks after receiving azithromycin and nitazoxanide or placebo) and 18 months (3 months after receiving azithromycin and nitazoxanide or placebo). This sampling time frame allowed us to assess the extent to which the antimicrobial intervention had an effect on enteric infections and to interpret the lack of effect of this antimicrobial regimen on childhood growth.