An acute gastroenteritis outbreak associated with a contaminated water supply system, Turkey, 2018.

Disruption of routine monitorization and chlorination of the water supply system during a week-long holiday led to a multi-organism gastroenteritis outbreak in a district with limited laboratory support. More than a 10-fold increase in patients with gastroenteritis was reported. Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli, Enteroaggregative E. coli, and norovirus were detected in human specimen samples. The main water tank and pipes were rusted; 13 out of the 19 water samples tested positive for total Coliform (1-920 colony-forming units (CFU)/100 ml) and E. coli (1-720 CFU/100 ml). Chlorine levels were below 0.2 ppm in seven of the nine samples. Information of 1,815 cases was obtained from the hospital records with a crude attack rate of 2.9%. Cases widespread in the district increased throughout the holiday, epidemic curve revealed a point-source outbreak. The case-control study revealed that consumption of drinking tap water and using it to clean vegetables/fruits were significantly associated with the illness. While drinking only bottled water had a protective effect against the illness. The culture technique showed that the water supply samples were positive for pathogenic bacteria. Upon decision in a multi-stakeholder meeting, the water tank was cleaned, and the Municipality initiated the renovation of the water supply system.

Attitudes about honour killing among men and women--perspective from Islamabad.

BACKGROUND: The concept of honour has cultural, social and moral underpinnings that determine its expression and perseveration. Women are viewed as the bearers of family honour with chastity equated with abstinence from premarital or extramarital relationships and obeying norms determined and dictated by traditions and societies. The objective of this study was to determine the opinions of men and women pertaining to killing in the name of and saving one's honour. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey with convenience sampling was conducted among the 18 years and older (range 18-71) men and women. Respondents were approached in markets, bus-stops, hospitals, and various other public places in Islamabad from April 12th to June 27th 2006. A structured, interviewer-administered, and pretested questionnaire was used with both open and close-ended questions on demographics and attitudes about honour killing based on a vignette that was slowly read out in Urdu, in a neutral and judgment-free tone of voice to potential respondents. Responses to close-ended questions based on the vignette provided, and pattern among men and women were compared using Pearson Chi-square test to determine associations between the dichotomous variables and gender, while responses to one open-ended question were summarised based on the observed similarities and bivariate associations with gender were determined. RESULTS: We approached 630 conveniently selected individuals at various public places in the city of Islamabad. Six hundred and one agreed to participate and completed the questionnaire, i.e., the response rate was 95.4%. Three hundred and seven respondents were male (51.1%), and 294 (48.9%) were females. Three hundred forty-three 343 (57.1%) respondents believed that the man in the vignette did the right thing by killing his wife upon finding her in bed with another man. Divorcing one's wife rather than resorting to killings, after having found her with another man was approved by 220 (36.6%) respondents, while the rest answered as 'don't know'. CONCLUSION: Majority of men as well as women considered it justifiable and acceptable to kill one's wife as a mean to save one's honour. The most significant finding was the fact that overwhelming number of men and women did not believe in either forgiveness or divorcing one's wife who has engaged in extramarital sexual relationship.

Comparative analysis of attitudes and perceptions about rape among male and female university students.

BACKGROUND: Rape and other forms of violence against women have been reported to be common in Pakistan, and police is often reluctant to register a rape complaint. We assessed and compared the attitudes and perceptions of male and female university students towards rape of females by males. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey with convenience sampling was conducted among the male and female students of Quide-e-Azam University, Islamabad. A structured, self-administered, anonymous and pre-tested questionnaire was used with close-ended questions. Students were asked about their attitudes and beliefs regarding characteristics of the female rape victims, male perpetrators and contexts in which this type of violence is more or less likely. Interviewers approached conveniently-selected participants and explained the objectives of the survey, while emphasising voluntary participation in this study. Data was analysed for frequencies and counts, while Chi-square test was used to for pairwise comparisons between male and female students with STATA 9. RESULTS: Five hundred and four students, 247 male and 257 female, completed the questionnaire. Male students were more likely to believe that strong character of a woman would ostensibly shield her from the advances of a rapist; only young and pretty women get raped; woman's willingness is present in rape. About 25% of students also believed that a raped woman is not worthy of becoming another man's wife. One third of students believed that there could be no rape in marital context. CONCLUSION: Rape myths were common in our educated study respondents with significant gender differences. Attitudes and beliefs blaming the female victim of rape were more common in males.

Internet access and utilization for health information among university students in Islamabad.

BACKGROUND: Internet has changed the way we live and work. Advent of this technology has fundamentally transformed our lives the way invention of automobile changed how our lives and cities looked and worked before. Practically no information is available on the use of Internet for health by the people of Pakistan. The Objectives of the study were to assess the access and utilization pattern of Internet by university students in Islamabad, with emphasis on the healthcare information seeking. METHODS: An anonymous, self-administered, and pre-tested questionnaire with questions on the access, and usage pattern of Internet, seeking health care information online, and belief about reliability of such information; was distributed to only those students who were enrolled in masters or higher degree programs. RESULTS: A total of 600 students were approached and 598 (99.7%) completed the questionnaires. The mean age of students was 23.5 years (range 19-40). The majority of students (423) were enrolled in masters program. Four hundred and sixty-eight students (78.26%) students had access to the computer either at home or at their university hostel. While 304 (50.84%) students had Internet access at home or in their university hostel. Out of 304 students who reported having access to Internet in the past three months, one hundred and thirty-nine (43.4%) students replied affirmatively to the question of having used Internet for seeking health care information. And 109 (78.4%) thought that such information was reliable. Out of 139 students who had used Internet for seeking health information, 35 (25.2%) students replied affirmatively to the question of having discussed health information obtained from Internet with their doctor/physician whom they visited for any illness/treatment. CONCLUSION: Majority of Islamabad university students in this study had access to computer and Internet. Young and healthy state of this educated age group perhaps accounts for limited use of Internet for seeking healthcare related information. However, high reliability of Internet obtained health information needs to be further studied in terms of websites utilized for seeking such information.

Prescribing privileges for psychologists among university students in Islamabad.

Psychologists as part of a team, make important contributions for the treatment of psychiatric disorders. New Mexico and Louisiana in United States have recently granted prescribing privileges to psychologists who have successfully completed additional training. This study determined the opinions of conveniently selected university students in Islamabad on clinical psychologists being granted similar prescribing privileges after additional training and certification by the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC). Four hundred and five students completed the questionnaires; with 51 students enrolled in Psychology departments who were excluded from the reported analysis. One hundred and sixty-five respondents were male (46.6%), and 189 (53.4%) were female. Two hundred and seventy-six (78%) students were enrolled in masters, while the rest in higher degree programme. Cumulatively, 272 (76.8%) students believed that after additional training, clinical psychologists may be allowed to prescribe drugs for the treatment of psychiatric disorders by the PMDC. This viewpoint was reinforced by the act that 264 (74.6%) students replied affirmatively to the question that they would feel comfortable in referring a friend or taking a family member to a clinical psychologist who is trained in prescribing drugs. Results of our study demonstrated that university students in our study were overwhelmingly in favour of prescribing privileges for psychologists in Pakistan. Professional bodies like PMDC and Pakistan Psychological Association need to broach this subject for greater access to psychiatric services in the country.

Job satisfaction among male physicians: perspective from Northern Iraq.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the level of job satisfaction among male physicians in northern Iraq. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY: Three public hospitals in the cities of Erbil and Kirkuk in northern Iraq, from May to June 2004. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Male physicians, currently working in public sector hospitals for at least one year, were given a structured, self-administered, anonymous and pre-tested questionnaire with both closed and open-ended questions. Data were collected on demographic and professional characteristics. Likert scales were used for job related characteristics. Data were analyzed for frequencies and mean scores for demographic and professional characteristics, while job related characteristics were analyzed with means and standard errors. RESULTS: Out of 174 male physicians participating in this study, 132 (75.8%) responded as always or usually, satisfied with their career as a physician with a mean score of 4.3 (SE 0.1). Ninety-seven (55.7 %) physicians reported their work related stress as either severe or moderate, with a mean score of 2.6 (SE 0.1). But 153 (87.9 %) physicians reported as always or usually being in control of their professional work-related activities, with a mean of 4.5 (SE 0.08), while mean level of stress at home/personal life was 2.2 (SE 0.06). CONCLUSION: Over seventy percent of male physicians in public-sector hospitals were satisfied with their jobs; however, links between working conditions and levels of job satisfaction were not clearly discernible.