Chronic consequences on human health induced by microbial pathogens: Growth faltering among children in developing countries

Enteric infections continue to cause approximately 500,000 childhood deaths annually worldwide. In addition to the burden of diarrhea, there is emerging evidence that exposure to enteric pathogens may induce physiologic abnormalities that lead to linear growth faltering. This enteric disease, known as environmental enteric dysfunction (EED) remains cryptic with regard to its causes and features. In this workshop, experts in the field addressed the contribution of enteric pathogens to growth faltering in the absence of clinical diarrhea. Also addressed were the role of the intestinal microbiota in normal childhood growth among children in developing countries. The impact of pathogen exposure could represent direct epithelial injury or could be mediated by perturbations in the normal microbiota or combinations of both.