Nearly Double Increase in Intestinal Infections Causing Diarrhea and Abdominal Pain in Hot Weather

Recently, as bacterial growth has become active due to the hot midsummer weather, the number of patients with enteric infections has been increasing. Enteric infections refer to diseases that cause gastrointestinal symptoms such as abdominal pain and diarrhea due to infections by 20 types of microorganisms including bacteria and viruses.

Abdominal pain [Photo by Getty Images Bank]

According to the enteric infection sentinel surveillance results operated by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) on the 7th, the number of reported patients in the 30th week of this year (July 23?29) was 598, an increase of about 85.1% compared to the 23rd week (June 4?10, 323 patients) in early June.

In particular, as the recent weather has continued with high humidity and temperature, more than 500 patients per week have been reported for three consecutive weeks. The main enteric infections are caused by Campylobacter, Salmonella, and enteropathogenic Escherichia coli.

Campylobacter is mainly transmitted through unpasteurized dairy products and poultry, Salmonella through eggs, milk, meat, and processed products, and enteropathogenic Escherichia coli through undercooked meat and vegetables. Therefore, the KDCA stated, “Special care is needed when storing, handling, and cooking each type of food.”

Campylobacter can be present on the surface of raw chicken, so the KDCA urges that hands must be washed under running water after touching it. To prevent Salmonella infection, hands must be washed after handling eggs. Also, eggs with intact shells should be purchased and refrigerated, and after cracking the shell, they should be thoroughly heated and cooked within a short time. Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli can contaminate meat during the slaughtering process or vegetables through insufficiently matured compost or contaminated water, so it is advised to avoid consuming them raw during the summer.

Enteric infections require especially careful attention in places that provide food to many people, such as restaurants and group catering facilities during the summer. In restaurants or group catering facilities, to prevent outbreaks of enteric infections, cooking utensils should be separated by food type (fish, meat, vegetables, etc.), and those with symptoms such as diarrhea must not prepare food, and hygiene rules for cooking must be strictly followed.

A KDCA official emphasized, “At home as well, by following personal hygiene rules such as handwashing, thoroughly cooking food, or washing it well under running water before eating, enteric infections can be prevented.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.