GIARDIASIS IN CANTERBURY - THE 1ST 9 MONTHS REPORTED CASES

Aim. To obtain epidemiological information about giardiasis in Canterb ury. Method. From October 1990 general practitioners were requested to report laboratory confirmed cases. The first 100 cases were sent a qu estionnaire and also asked to provide the details of two persons to be controls. Results. In the first nine months 109 cases were reported. Eighty four cases completed questionnaires and 51 were matched with co ntrols. The overall reported attack rate was 4.0 per 10 000 population per year. The rate was highest for preschool children and young adult s and in rural areas. There was a significant risk associated with hav ing contact with sewage or travelling overseas and a marginal risk for drinking water outside Christchurch. Conclusion. The results indicate d that giardiasis was relatively common in Canterbury and confirmed th at the major mechanisms of infection were probably the same as those p reviously identified overseas, namely person to person spread via faec al - oral transmission and the drinking of inadequately filtered water .