A stool survey for enteric organisms in Aspen, Colorado.

Abstract

A stool survey of about one-half the permanent population of Aspen, Colorado, was undertaken after an outbreak of giardiasis during the 1965–66 ski season. The prevalence of parasites, viruses, and enteric bacterial pathogens was determined. The chlorazol-black staining technique for fecal films was evaluated and found to be a simple, efficient technique for obtaining permanent stained slides in field studies. Parasitologic examinations of this middle-to-upper income population showed a Giardia lamblia infection rate of 5.0%, significantly higher than the prevalence of both Entamoeba coli and Endolimax nana (1.9%). Only about 1% of the 280 stools cultured were positive for enteric pathogens. Six polioviruses, antigenically classified as vaccine-like, four adenoviruses, and one untyped enterovirus were isolated from the 416 stools examined. No person was doubly infected with parasites, bacteria, or viruses.