AN INVESTIGATION OF DIARRHOEAL DISEASE OUTBREAK AT DILATE MILITARY TRAINING CENTRE

Abstract

ABSTRACT: This study was conducted to investigate a reported diarrhoeal diseaseboutbreak among higher education students recruits in Bilate Military Training Centre, Sidamo Administrative Region, Out of the total patients of 5,248 who visited at the out-patient department 1,616 (30.1% ) were patients with diarrhoea. There were 99 patients admitted to the hospital out of which 27 (27.2 % ) were diarrhoeal patients. There ere no deaths reported. A total of 965 (75.6%) were treated with antimicrobial, mainly Tetracyclines, Chloramphenicol, Metronidazole and Chloroquine. Only 114 (8.9% ) were treated with Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS) while 86 (7.11 % ) with Anti-diarrhoeal (Charcoal) and ORS. There was no proper excreta disposal and the water source was found to be bacteriologically non-potable. Among the 34 stool specimens collected for culture and sensitivity tests, the genus Shigella was isolated in 6 patients; where 4 were higellaflexneri (Group B) and 2 were Shigella dysenteriae (Group A) one type 1 (Shiga's Bacillus) and the other type 2 (Schmittz's Bacillus). Shigella dysenteriae serogroups 1 and 2 showed resistance to eight and seven drugs including Trimethoprim Sulpha-Methoxazole (TSM) respectively. This study highlights the importance of safe water and improvement of general hygiene and environmental sanitation for prevention and control of epidemics and indicates the importance of continuous surveillance of drug resistant Shigella for the control of outbreaks of Shigellosis.