The decreasing incidence rate of diarrhoeal disease occurrence in Trinidad and Tobago: 1992 - 1996

Data on diarrhoeal disease were collected from the community, hospitals and private physicians from August 1991 to September 1996. The diarrhoea disease rates in <5 - and > 5- year-olds are shown below: [a table accompanied the original abstract]. The spectrum of organisms isolated from diarrhoeal specimens was mainly enteropathogenic E. coli, Salmonella spp., Shigella spp. and Campylobacter spp. with a few Cryptosporidia seen. The arrival in August 1994 of Samonella enteritidis brought an increasing isolation rate of this serotype. S. typhimurium was associated with outbreaks of salmonellosis in June and November 1994 but has since been on the decline but outbreaks associated with S. enteritidis were recorded in January 1995 (12 cases), and April 1996 (25 cases). The most severely affectd age group was the 0-4 year-old and the 60+ years showed an increasing susceptibility trend. Continued and heightened surveillance must prevail in order to determine the source of the S. enteritidis. Eggs have been implicated but the hard evidence is thus far lacking. (AU)

Food borne disease outbreak at a major hotel in Trinidad - abstract

One hundred and twenty delegates at a major hotel in Trinidad attended a breakfast meeting soon after which some complained of being unwell and sought medical attention. 17 were treated of whom 2 were admitted to the Port of Spain General Hospital, 6/22 were admitted to a private hospital and 5 were treated by a private practitioner. Stool samples or rectal swabs were taken from the in-patients and from 3 hotel staff members who were also ill. Samples of the food served were sent for analysis. Of 30 delegates who were investigated, 24 had symptoms of vomiting and 17 had diarrhoea in combination with other symptoms. The mean incubation time was 3 hours, suggestive of toxin ingestion. The food specfic attack rates identified "saltfish buljol" as the contaminated food. All stool samples taken from the hospitalized delegates yielded Staphylococcus aureus which was also found in the swabs from the hotel staff members. All S. aureus isolates were sent for phage grouping and typing. Three delegates and one food item shared the identical phage group with that from the nasal swab of a worker. The other hospitalized delegate and another food item shared the identical phage group from the rectal swab of the same worker. It was concluded that the outbreak was due to food contaminated with Staphylococcus aureus originating from hotel staff. (AU)