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

ABSTRACT

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)