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Research Article Open access CC BY 3.0

Gastroenteritis Outbreak in a Senior High School, Akwapim North District, Eastern Region-Ghana, 2012

Joseph K. L. Opare, Edwin Afari, Fred Wurapa, Chima Ohuabunwo, Samuel Sackey, George Kye-Duodu, Donne Ameme, Joseph Abankwa, Dorcas Kyeiwa Asante, Kofi Tornyeli, Praise Boamah, James Amankwah, Olivia Serwaa Opare

International Journal of TROPICAL DISEASE & Health · pp. 210–216 · Published 24 May 2013

10.9734/IJTDH/2013/3684

Abstract

Background: On the 28th of October, 12 students from a Senior-High-School (SHS) in the Akwapim North-District-Ghana, reported to the district hospital with abdominal cramps, diarrhea and vomiting. We investigated to identify the cause, the source of infection and to recommend control measures. Methods: We conducted a descriptive investigation; with active case-search and a retrospective cohort-study. A case-patient was a student presenting with abdominal cramps, diarrhea and or vomiting from the 28th of October to the 2nd of November in the SHS. We interviewed students and reviewed medical records. Stool from case-patients and water samples were taken from known sources of drinking water and associated boreholes for laboratory diagnosis. We performed univariate analysis by person, place and time and assessed risk factors through relative risk 95% confidence level. Results: Aeromonas-spp and Eschericia-coli were isolated from stool and water samples respectively. The overall attack rate was 8.0 (101/1254) /1000 with no fatalities. The index case, a 15 yr-old female student reported on october 28th and case-patients peaked (16/101) 24hours later. The mean age of case-patients was 17 years (±1.2) with females 77% (78/101) mostly affected. Eating waakye [RR=3.13(CI 2.35-4.17)], banku [(RR= 2.21(CI 1.33-3.69)], kenkey [RR=1.39 (CI 1.03- 1.87)] and drinking borehole water [( RR=7.60 (CI 6.26-9.25)] were associated with the gastroenteritis. Conclusions: Drinking Eschericia coli-contaminated-bore hole water was the most likely cause of this point-source outbreak. Chlorination of the boreholes water coupled with education on food safety and personal hygiene were initiated based on our recommendations and these measures were temporally associated with containment of the outbreak.

Food-borne gastroenteritis outbreak Akwapim North District Ghana

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Cited by 6

Outbreak of foodborne gastroenteritis in a senior high school in South-eastern Ghana: a retrospective cohort study

Donne K. Ameme, Holy Alomatu, Albert Antobre-Boateng · BMC Public Health · 2016

Investigation of an Acute Gastrointestinal Illness Outbreak Linked to Drinking Water in a Higher Educational Institute in East Sikkim, India

Karma G Dolma, Madhuchhanda Das, Shanmuga S Saravanabhavan · Cureus · 2024

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