Studies of diarrheal susceptibility, growth, and development, in pediatric populations in Northeastern Brazil. Homo sapiens

This program in genetics in Brazil was conducted under the auspices of the overall International Collaboration in Infectious Diseases Research (ICIDR) program which was administered and funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the US National Institutes of Health. The component individual studies were assembled and conducted with funding by a range of organizations, including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and funding from the Brazilian Government. Demographic, anthropometric, biomarker, microbial, and diarrheal data was collected for multiple cohorts or case-control studies that were performed within the last 10-15 years in populations in Northeastern Brazil, centered on Fortaleza, Ceara state, but including sites in other surrounding states in one particular study (Recodisa). The phenotypic data was combined with genetic data to elucidate the host and microbial genetic susceptibility risk factors predisposing infants to environmental enteropathy and failure-to-thrive as measured by linear and ponderal growth faltering, as well as biomarkers of intestinal inflammation and absorptive function.