Outbreak Investigation of Acute Diarrhea in three temporary shelters in Bangkok, October 2020

Authors

  • Sukanya Jongsiriyanyong Public Health Centre 58th of the Health Department of BMA. Thailand
  • Tassanee Pan-anan Public Health Center 58th of the Health Department of BMA. Thailand

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14456/dcj.2021.96

Keywords:

Outbreak Investigation, Acute Diarrhea, Travelling, Temporary Shelters, Enteropathogenic Bacteria

Abstract

The public health center 58th was notified by a head government officer of a specific team from a temporary shelter which located in Bangpakok subdistrict of Rad-burana district of Bangkok about a few patients with acute diarrhea on October 15th, 2020: 10.00 am. The Surveillance and Rapid Response Team (SRRT) was activated and immediately conducted an investigation in the affected shelters with another government sectors to verify the outbreak and identified the causes or risk factors of acute diarrhea. The controlling measures and prevention for another outbreak was done during October 15th – 30th, 2020. A descriptive study was carried-out by interviewing the suspected patient to identify suspected causes or risk factors of this outbreak. The descriptive statistics were used for describing the distribution and determinants of disease including frequency, percentage, mean and median. There was an outbreak of acute diarrhea of the government officers who travelling to Bangkok and living in three temporary shelters during October 15th – 30th, 2020. We found 71 diarrhea cases among 480 officers (the attack rate 14.8%), median of age was 42.0 years. The risk factors of this outbreak were having the non-healthy meal-box and the food sanitation measures of the restaurant or the food stalls. The rectal swabs from the confirmed cases revealed the enteropathogenic bacteria (Aeromonas veronii biovar sobria, Aeromonas spp., Plesiomonas shigelloides, Salmonella serovar Soerenga, Vibrio cholerae nonO1/nonO139/nonO141) . We also found the coliforms bacteria from the SI2 tests and can identified Bacillus cereus from the leftovers food samples. In conclusion, every restaurants, food stalls should strictly follow the food sanitation recommendations. The logistics team should prepare the healthy meal-box for all members of the team during travelling and living in the temporary shelters and also should define the measures for preventing the future outbreak.

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Published

2021-12-26

How to Cite

1.
Jongsiriyanyong S, Pan-anan T. Outbreak Investigation of Acute Diarrhea in three temporary shelters in Bangkok, October 2020. Dis Control J [Internet]. 2021 Dec. 26 [cited 2024 Dec. 19];47(4):1103-15. Available from: https://he01.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/DCJ/article/view/246757

Issue

Section

Outbreak Investigation