RESUMO
In April of 2003, an outbreak of gastroenteritis was reported in a training command (Centro de Instrucción Técnica y Entrenamiento Naval (CITEN)) at a Peruvian naval base located near Lima, Peru. The Naval Medical Research Center Detachment, in collaboration with the National Peruvian Naval Hospital, conducted an investigation to determine the causative agent and potential source of the outbreak. Between April 3 and 5, 172 (16%) of 1,092 military trainees reported to the CITEN clinic with diarrhea. Of 74 trainees for whom bacterial cultures were performed, Shigella spp. were isolated from 5 (6.8%), Campylobacter spp. from 5 (6.8%), and enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli from 2 (2.7%). Pathogenic parasites were identified in 22 of 64 (34%) trainees for whom microscopic observation for ova and parasites was performed. Stool samples from asymptomatic controls could not be collected, thus we were unable to confirm that the enteropathogens isolated were the etiologic agent(s). Several food items and the hands of food handlers were contaminated with coliform bacteria and drinking water was not adequately chlorinated. Preventative measures have since reduced the number of diarrhea cases at the CITEN.
Assuntos
Diarreia/epidemiologia , Surtos de Doenças , Contaminação de Alimentos/análise , Manipulação de Alimentos , Gastroenterite/epidemiologia , Militares/estatística & dados numéricos , Medicina Naval , Adolescente , Adulto , Campylobacter/isolamento & purificação , Diarreia/microbiologia , Escherichia coli/isolamento & purificação , Feminino , Gastroenterite/microbiologia , Mãos/microbiologia , Hospitais Militares , Humanos , Higiene , Masculino , Peru/epidemiologia , Shigella/isolamento & purificaçãoRESUMO
We investigated the etiology of acute diarrhea among Peruvian military recruits undergoing three months of basic combat training near the Amazonian city of Iquitos. From January through September 2002, 307 of 967 recruits were seen at the Health Post for diarrhea (attack rate [AR] = 31.8%, incidence = 1.28 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.14-1.43] episodes/person-year). Shigella spp. were the most common bacterial pathogen recovered from recruits experiencing diarrhea episodes. These bacteria were isolated from 89 (40%) of 225 diarrheal stools examined (AR = 7.6%, incidence = 0.30 [95% CI = 0.24-0.38] episodes/person-year). Most (83 of 90; 92%) of the Shigella isolates were S. flexneri, of which 57 (69%) were serotype 2a. Seventy-six percent of Shigella isolates were resistant to sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim and all were sensitive to ciprofloxacin. Peruvian soldiers may be an excellent population in which to test the efficacy of S. flexneri vaccines in advanced development.