Outbreak of foodborne disease at a mass event of indigenous peoples in Cuiaba, Mato Grosso, Brazil, in 2013

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:  to report the experience of investigating the outbreak of acute diarrhoea (AD) at the XII Indigenous Games in Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, Brazil, 2013.

METHODS:  data were collected from the Advanced Medical Post's service records of the AD cases, which were defined as 'individual Games participant referring episode of diarrhoea and/or vomiting'; AD attack rates, relative frequencies and measures of the central tendency of sociodemographic and clinical variables, sanitary inspections and results of bromatological samples were calculated.

RESULTS:  384 (37%) cases met the definition of AD; the epidemic peaks of the outbreak occurred on the 4th and 7th day of the event and the disease attack rate was 33.5%; sanitary inspection showed evidence of food contamination by coagulase-negative Staphylococci, Bacillus cereus and heat resistant coliforms.

CONCLUSION:  there an outbreak of AD caused by food contamination.

Key words: Health of Indigenous Peoples; Dysentery; Foodborne Diseases