A Bacteriological and Parasitological Survey of Enteric Infections in an Alaskan Eskimo Area

Abstract

The diarrheal problem in the area surveyed is believed due mainly to 2 types of Shigella flexneri, 2a and 3. A history of diarrhea was given by 33.7% of the people interviewed, with greatest prevalence during July and Aug. Children in the 0-9 age group were most extensively affected, accounting for 67.2% of cases of diarrhea and 71.9% of bacterial pathogens isolated. Of the salmonelleae, there were 3 isolations of Salmonella typhosa Escherichia coli 055:B5 and 0111:B4 were isolated from 4 young children. One bacterial pathogen was isolated from 278 dogs. Entamoeba coli and Diphyllobothrium sp. were most numerous of human parasitic infections. E. histolytica and Diphyllobothrium sp. rates were 1.7 and 10.6%, respectively. In dogs the most numerous parasites were Diphyllobothrium sp. (15.6%) and hookworm (56.7%).