Abstract

In this paper, it is aimed to explain the causes of the sudden outbreak of acute gastro-enteritis occured in the Vakfıkebir district of the province of Trabzon in November, 2006 and what have been done after the outbreak. Cases of acute gastro-enteritis first began appearing on 7 November, 2006, and from the first day teams from the Provincial Health Directorate began working to analyse the situation internally and take the requisite precautionary measures. During the course of the outbreak 790 cases were determined, though there were no fatalities. The cause of the outbreak was established as contamination of the city’s drinking water supply caused by fractures in the sewage system. The time curve showed the outbreak to be a single-source one. Questionnaires were completed in face-to-face interviews with patients in order to evaluate case characteristics and to obtain more detailed information.

Key words: Acute gastroenteritis, outbreak, water, sewage system, contamination

Article Language: Turkish English