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Fulltext Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment of Drinking Water Quality to Predict the Risk of Waterborne Diseases in Primary-School Children

Ahmed J, Wong LP, Chua YP, Channa N, Mahar RB, Yasmin A, et al.

Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2020 04 17;17(8).
PMID: 32316585 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17082774

Primary-school children in low- and middle-income countries are often deprived of microbiologically safe water and sanitation, often resulting in a high prevalence of gastrointestinal diseases and poor school performance. We used Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment (QMRA) to predict the probability of infection in schoolchildren due to consumption of unsafe school water. A multistage random-sampling technique was used to randomly select 425 primary schools from ten districts of Sindh, Pakistan, to produce a representative sample of the province. We characterized water supplies in selected schools. Microbiological testing of water resulted in inputs for the QMRA model, to estimate the risks of infections to schoolchildren. Groundwater (62%) and surface water (38%) were identified as two major sources of drinking water in the selected schools, presenting varying degrees of health risks. Around half of the drinking-water samples were contaminated with Escherichia coli (49%), Shigella spp. (63%), Salmonella spp. (53%), and Vibrio cholerae (49%). Southern Sindh was found to have the highest risk of infection and illness from Campylobacter and Rotavirus. Central and Northern Sindh had a comparatively lower risk of waterborne diseases. Schoolchildren of Karachi were estimated to have the highest probability of illness per year, due to Campylobacter (70%) and Rotavirus (22.6%). Pearson correlation was run to assess the relationship between selected pathogens. V. cholerae was correlated with Salmonella spp., Campylobacter, Rotavirus, and Salmonella spp. Overall, the risk of illness due to the bacterial infection (E. coli, Salmonella spp., V. cholerae, Shigella, and Campylobacter) was high. There is a dire need for management plans in the schools of Sindh, to halt the progression of waterborne diseases in school-going children.

Matched MeSH terms: Waterborne Diseases*
Fulltext A community-based survey of Toxoplasma gondii infection among pregnant women in rural areas of Taiz governorate, Yemen: the risk of waterborne transmission

Mahdy MA, Alareqi LM, Abdul-Ghani R, Al-Eryani SM, Al-Mikhlafy AA, Al-Mekhlafi AM, et al.

Infect Dis Poverty, 2017 Feb 13;6(1):26.
PMID: 28190399 DOI: 10.1186/s40249-017-0243-0

BACKGROUND: Toxoplasma gondii is a zoonotic coccidian parasite causing morbidity and mortality. In Yemen, T. gondii infection has been reported among pregnant women seeking healthcare in the main cities. However, no data are available on the prevalence of T. gondii infection and its associated risk factors among pregnant women in the rural communities of the country. Thus, the present study aimed to determine the seroprevalence of T. gondii and identify its risk factors among pregnant women in the rural communities of Taiz governorate, Yemen.
METHODS: A total of 359 pregnant women living in the rural communities of Taiz governorate were enrolled in this study by house-to-house visits. Data were collected using a pre-designed questionnaire, and blood samples were collected and tested for the detection of anti- T. gondii IgM and IgG antibodies by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
RESULTS: The prevalence of T. gondii infection among pregnant women in this study was 46.2% (166/359). Bivariate analysis identified the age of ≥ 30 years (odds ratio [OR] = 1.7; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.09-2.65, P = 0.019) and unimproved water sources (OR = 2.2; 95% CI = 1.10-4.55, P = 0.023) as factors associated with T. gondii infection among pregnant women. The multivariable analysis, however, identified unimproved water sources as an independent risk factor (adjusted OR = 2.4; 95% CI = 1.16-5.0, P = 0.018) associated with T. gondii infection among pregnant women.
CONCLUSIONS: Pregnant women in the rural communities of Taiz, Yemen are at high risk of contracting T. gondii infection. Unimproved water sources (wells, water streams and water tanks) are significantly associated with T. gondii infection and should be considered in prevention and control strategies, especially among pregnant women.

Matched MeSH terms: Waterborne Diseases/parasitology; Waterborne Diseases/prevention & control; Waterborne Diseases/transmission*
Emergency field sanitation

O'Dwyer JJ

Journal of the Malaya Branch of the British Medical Association, 1940;3:387-95.

Matched MeSH terms: Waterborne Diseases
Fulltext Seasonal quality variation and environmental risks associated with the consumption of surface water: implication from the Landzun Stream, Bida Nigeria

Daramola J, M Ekhwan T, Adepehin EJ, Mokhtar J, Lam KC, Er AC

Heliyon, 2019 Jul;5(7):e02121.
PMID: 31384682 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2019.e02121

Water constitutes a major environmental and public health concerns worldwide. A large proportion of global water consumption is sourced from surface water. The dependency level on surface water is higher in developing countries, especially in rural-to-semi-urban areas, where subsurface water is not accessible. Presented in this paper is a spatiotemporal and hydrochemical quality assessment of the spring-originated Landzun Stream in Bida, Nigeria; which is usually consumed in its untreated state. Water samples were systematically collected in eighteen locations along the stream channel in both rainy and dry seasons at an equidistance interval of 500m. On-site and laboratory measurement of important physical and hydrochemical parameters were carried out using standard procedures. Water temperature in the rainy season (34-37 °C) slightly exceeds measured values in the dry season (29-33 °C). 72.22% (rainy) and 83.33% (dry) of collected samples did not meet the odourless requirement for drinking water. Similarly, estimated percentages of 66.67 and 94.44 of collected samples in rainy and dry seasons respectively have a taste. Contrary to data in the rainy season, 89%, 11%, 67% and 56% of the dry season's samples were enriched in magnesium (Mg), lead (Pb), potassium (K) and iron (Fe) respectively above the 2018 World Health Organisation guidelines for drinking water. This study further established that seasonal variation plays a major role in altering the aesthetic surface water quality. The intake of untreated surface water is a vehicle for potential water-borne diseases and allergies, hence alternative sources of drinking water for the populace dependent on the Landzun Stream is recommended to reduce risks and possible dangers of consuming the stream water.

Matched MeSH terms: Waterborne Diseases