Evaluation of frequency of acute diarrhea and distributions of intestinal parasites in a city center in summer term

INTRODUCTION: The food and water borne diseases are major public health problems and have potential to lead outbreaks.

METHOD: The frequency of acute diarrhea and the results of parasite analyses in gaita were obtained by investigating  national “the weekly surveillance forms of food and water borne diseases” developed by the Turkey Ministry of Health and data were collected weekly during the summer term.

RESULTS: Frequency of acute diarrhea in children 0-59 months was found as 4,1% in June, 5,2% in July, 7,4% in August, 4,3% in September. In 2007, frequency of acute diarrhea for the all population was 0,8% in June, 1,1% in July, 1,5% in August and 0,9% in September.
It was determined by gaita parasite analyses that 6,4% of 2.523 examinations was Entamoeba Histolitytica (EH), 1,5% was Giardia Intestinalis (GI) in June; 7,5% of 2.817 examinations was EH, 1,5% was GI in July; 6,9% of 3.358 examinations was EH, 1,5% was GI in August; 9,2% of 3.362 examinations was EH, 1,9% was GI in September. 

CONCLUSION: Low monthly level of acute diarrhea may be a result of better urban sewerage system in Gaziantep than the other Southeast Anatolian region cities. Frequency of acute diarrhea in children under five years old were higher than in adults. This may be attributed that the children are more sensitive to the food and water borne diseases as well as the number of health stations applications in adults are low. Adding parasites other than EH and GI to current form can provide an increase in frequency of analyzed parasites.

Key words: Frequency of Acute Diarrhea, Parasite in Gaita, Entamoeba Histolitytica, Giardia Intestinalis