Special Aspects of the Incidence of Acute Intestinal Infections in the Population of the Tuapsinsky District

Abstract

Summary. Introduction: Identification of hygienic determinants of the epidemic process and their inducing factors is an urgent regional problem that ensures a decrease in infectious disease rates in modern conditions. One of the priority tasks of the Russian economy is the development of beach tourism in coastal areas. Medical tourism is gaining more and more popularity in Russia: this direction is one of the most promising and demanded. According to the Ministry of Economic Development, 45 % of Russian tourists prefer beach holidays. Development of a competitive, highly efficient tourist and recreational complex is impossible without a modern approach to assessing safety of recreational water facilities for the population and minimizing risks of adverse health effects of recreational water use in holidaymakers. The anthropogenic factor influences reliability of assessments of the local hygienic and epidemic situation. The establishment of cause-effect relationships between the environment and the disease is the basis for elaborating preventive actions. The objective of our study was to analyze the incidence of acute intestinal infections in the local population of the Black Sea coast of the Tuapsinsky district, Krasnodar Krai, and visitors from other regions of the Russian Federation. Materials and methods: We applied epidemiological and statistical methods of analyzing disease incidence taking into account terrain features, age of patients, and seasons of the year. Laboratory test results were used to confirm the etiology of diseases registered in the district. Results: We established season- and age-specific increase in the incidence of acute intestinal infections among groups of the local population having excluded cases among the visitors. The incidence was noted for a high rate of acute intestinal infections caused by potentially pathogenic bacteria and viruses in coastal areas with a developed resort and spa infrastructure as compared to the mountainous areas. We also observed a recent rising trend in the incidence of viral gastrointestinal infections with rotaviruses accounting for 89.8 % of all cases of acute intestinal infections in 2018. Discussion: Our findings were used to develop appropriate preventive measures and to make managerial decisions on surveillance of the recreational facilities in order to prevent the risk of gastrointestinal infections in the area and to create a safe environment for tourists. Conclusions: In the summer months, acute intestinal infections in the area were induced by potentially pathogenic bacteria and viruses. The majority of cases were registered among holidaymakers while children aged 1-6 years were most at risk for gastrointestinal infections.