1660. Protective Effect of Living with Animals on Diarrheal Illness Among Children Younger Than Five in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia

Background Diarrheal disease is one of the top three causes of death in children <5 years old, with the majority occurring in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Animals are known reservoirs of diarrheal pathogens. While previous studies have investigated companion animals and livestock as contributors to human diarrheal disease, few have investigated this association in sub-Saharan Africa and/or South Asia among children younger than 5 years...