SURTOS DE DOENÇAS DE TRANSMISSÃO HÍDRICA E ALIMENTAR NO ESTADO DO CEARÁ ENTRE 2007 E 2021

• DOI: 10.22533/at.ed.12923141111

• Palavras-chave: DTHA; Ceará; Segurança Alimentar; Alimentos Contaminados; População.

• Keywords: DTHA; Ceará; Food Safety; Contaminated Foods; Population.

• Abstract: In Ceará, between 2007 and 2021, there was a high incidence of people exposed to outbreaks of food and waterborne diseases (DTHA), which are defined when two or more people present similar signs and symptoms after consuming food and/or water from the same source. It is worth noting that there are more than 250 types of DTHA worldwide, which can be caused by etiological agents such as bacteria and their toxins, viruses, opportunistic intestinal parasites, or chemicals. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to gather available data on outbreaks of water and foodborne diseases in the state of Ceará between 2007 and 2021. A descriptive study with a quantitative approach was conducted using epidemiological data on DTHA outbreaks available in the Ministry of Health's database. The data collection showed that 15,037 people were exposed to DTHA outbreaks in Ceará, of which approximately 4,903 people fell ill. Bacterial agents, particularly coliforms and Escherichia coli, were identified as the most frequent etiological agents. It was found that the most commonly associated food in the outbreaks was of animal origin, with households being the most affected location. Considering the difficulty of epidemiological surveillance in obtaining accurate data, it becomes necessary to implement corrective and educational actions involving training and control measures. The findings of this study also demonstrate that a significant portion of the population is unaware of the existence of food safety education programs, highlighting a lack of necessary requirements for food handling, preservation, and proper consumption.