Bitto A O, Kale O O, Oduntan S O
Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Nigeria.
West Afr J Med. 1992 Jan-Mar;11(1):34-8.
This report documents the investigation and control of an outbreak of gastro-enteritis in Lagun, Oyo State, Nigeria. Prior to the outbreak which occurred in 1981, there had been epidemics of gastro-enteritis, suspected to be cholera, in various parts of Nigeria. The investigations carried out included personal interviews of patients and their contacts, laboratory investigations of faecal specimens and analysis of water samples obtained from the village wells and stream. Available evidence indicates that the infection was probably introduced by one of the many visitors who had thronged the village for a festival. Neither Vibrio cholerae, Salmonella nor Shigella species were isolated from fecal specimens. However Vibrio metschnikovii organisms were present in water from the stream; and all the water samples tested revealed faecal contamination. The intervention consisted of intensive health education of various groups in the community, chlorination of water sources, treatment or referral of patients as necessary, with chemoprophylaxis and cholera immunization for contacts. A community environmental sanitation programme was also carried out, and recommendations have been made. This study highlighted what can be done at Primary Health Care level to investigate and control epidemics of gastro-enteritis which are common occurrence in the rural communities of this country.
本报告记录了尼日利亚奥约州拉贡市一场肠胃炎疫情的调查与控制情况。在1981年此次疫情爆发之前，尼日利亚各地曾出现疑似霍乱的肠胃炎疫情。开展的调查包括对患者及其接触者进行个人访谈、对粪便样本进行实验室检测以及对从村里的水井和溪流采集的水样进行分析。现有证据表明，感染可能是由众多前往该村参加节日活动的访客之一传入的。粪便样本中未分离出霍乱弧菌、沙门氏菌或志贺氏菌属。然而，溪流水中存在梅契尼科夫弧菌；所有检测的水样均显示有粪便污染。干预措施包括对社区内不同群体进行强化健康教育、对水源进行氯化处理、根据需要对患者进行治疗或转诊，并对接触者进行化学预防和霍乱免疫接种。还实施了一项社区环境卫生计划，并提出了相关建议。这项研究突出了在初级卫生保健层面可以采取哪些措施来调查和控制肠胃炎疫情，而肠胃炎疫情在该国农村社区很常见。
