Salmonella and Shigella carrier rates and environmental sanitation in a rural district, Central Thailand.

ABSTRACT

The study of Salmonella and Shigella carrier rates were carried out in two Tambol (sub districts). Klongjik, Kanon-Laung and Amphur (district) Bang-Pa-In. The carrier rates of Salmonella and Shigella were 3.3% and 0.8% respectively. Most Salmonella strains were sensitive to the antibiotics commonly used; only 6.4% and 3.2% were resistant to tetracycline and neomycin. All Shigella isolated were resistant to chloramphenicol and 75% to tetracycline. One fourth of the families defecated in the river or canal or went to the field and one third disposed the garbage into the river or canal. This contaminated water was used for drinking by 62.7% of all families and only 28.1% treated the water by boiling. The disease vectors bothering the villagers were rats 58.8%, flies and cockroaches which served as important vehicles for cross contamination. The prevalence rate of diarrhoeal disease in the villages was 1933 per 100,000 and presented as the morbidity rate of this disease in the district hospital, only 355 to 363 per 100,000 in 1979 and 1980. Health care for diarrhoeal diseases in these villages were 61% by self-medication, 36% using the village healer and only 3% went to the district hospital. The effective means to eliminate transient and chronic carriers of Shigella and Salmonella typhi may be very important but other means of prevention of diarrhoeal diseases of typhoid fever are through the sanitary disposal of human excreta and the development of safe water supply should be emphasized.