Abstract
Background: Enteric fever is an endemic health problem and frequently associated with outbreaks. Objectives: Investigate sudden surge in gastroenteritis cases to confirm the outbreak, describe it in terms of time place and person, identify source of infection, modes of transmission and suggest remedial measures. Material & Methodology: Field visit was undertaken by the rapid response team (RRT) at Borsad town of Anand district in Gujarat for investigating suspected typhoid outbreak. This involved gathering information from local authorities, hospital admissions and home visits; collection of blood samples and water samples. Result: Of 30 suspected cases, 19 (63.3%) tested Widal positive. Common presenting symptoms were fever, vomiting followed by diarrhea and abdominal pain. Chlorine levels at source and end users were inadequate. 5 leakage points in water supply were identified in areas around the clustered cases. Conclusion and Recommendations: Leakage in piped water supply coupled with inadequate chlorination lead to contaminated drinking water and subsequent Typhoid epidemic. Corrective steps in form of rapid surveys to identify cases, household chlorination and appropriate engineering measures were recommended and implemented.
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