Etiology of a diarrhoea epidemic among employees of a poultry farm in the city of N’zérékoré, Republic of Guinea

Abstract

Objective: Acute diarrheal diseases are a primary and recurrent health concern among poultry workers. This study is designed is to determine the causative agent of an epidemic which broke out among the 510 employees of a poultry farm in the City of N'zérékoré. Methodology: Systematic survey was implored according to a list drawn up by the personal chef of the To detect germs commonly implicated in food-borne illnesses, a biological analysis of the stools with the Polymerase Chain Reaction was performed, followed by a direct examination of the stools and poultry feed. Statistical processing was achieved with the BiostatGV software. Results: 104 cases (20,4%) of Salmonella typhi DNA positivity were detected in these stool samples, including 50 cases (9.8%) positive in men versus 54 cases (10.59%) positive in women. the most affected are: (18-29) years old 6.5%, followed by that of (30-41) years old with 5.7%. 73 cases (14,3%) of DNA positivity of Campylobacter spp detected including 44 positive cases in men i.e., 8.6% against 29 positive cases in women, i.e., 5.69%. 32 positive cases (6,3%) of Tapeworm spp eggs detected, including 12 positive cases in men, i.e., 2.4% against 20 positive cases in women, i.e., 3,92%. Conclusion: Among the 510 farm employees, Salmonella typhi, Campylobacters spp, and Tapeworm spp were responsible for the acute diarrhea epidemic declared on 01 / July / 2022.