Seasonality of drinking water sources and the impact of drinking water source on enteric infections among children in Limpopo, South Africa.
Int J Hyg Environ Health
; 231: 113640, 2021 01.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-33115698
ABSTRACT
Enteric infections and water-related illnesses are more frequent during times of relative water abundance, especially in regions that experience bimodal rainfall patterns. However, it is unclear how seasonal changes in water availability and drinking water source types affect enteric infections in young children. This study investigated seasonal shifts in primary drinking water source type and the effect of water source type on enteric pathogen prevalence in stool samples from 404 children below age 5 in rural communities in Limpopo Province, South Africa. From wet to dry season, 4.6% (n = 16) of households switched from a source with a higher risk of contamination to a source with lower risk, with the majority switching to municipal water during the dry season. In contrast, 2.6% (n = 9) of households switched from a source with a lower risk of contamination to a source with higher risk. 74.5% (n = 301) of the total households experienced interruptions in their water supply, regardless of source type. There were no significant differences in enteric pathogen prevalence between drinking water sources. Intermittent municipal water distribution and household water use and storage practices may have a larger impact on enteric infections than water source type. The limited differences in enteric pathogen prevalence in children by water source could also be due to other exposure pathways in addition to drinking water, for example through direct contact and food-borne transmission.
Palabras clave
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Agua Potable
Tipo de estudio:
Risk_factors_studies
Límite:
Child
/
Child, preschool
/
Humans
País/Región como asunto:
Africa
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Int J Hyg Environ Health
Asunto de la revista:
SAUDE AMBIENTAL
/
SAUDE PUBLICA
Año:
2021
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Estados Unidos