Source-Associated Gastroenteritis Risk from Swimming Exposure to Aging Fecal Pathogens

2019 ◽  
Vol 54 (2) ◽  
pp. 921-929 ◽  
Author(s):  
Baolei Wu ◽  
Chunwei Wang ◽  
Chongmiao Zhang ◽  
Michael J. Sadowsky ◽  
Mawuli Dzakpasu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
1993 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 167-173 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carl J. Rosen ◽  
Thomas R. Halbach ◽  
Bert T. Swanson

Composting of municipal solid waste (MSW) has received renewed attention as a result of increasing waste disposal costs and the environmental concerns associated with using landfills. Sixteen MSW composting facilities are currently operating in the United States, with many more in the advanced stages of planning. A targeted end use of the compost is for horticultural crop production. At the present time, quality standards for MSW composts are lacking and need to be established. Elevated heavy metal concentrations in MSW compost have been reported; however, through proper sorting and recycling prior to composting, contamination by heavy metals can be reduced. Guidelines for safe metal concentrations and fecal pathogens in compost, based on sewage sludge research, are presented. The compost has been shown to be useful in horticultural crop production by improving soil physical properties, such as lowering bulk density and increasing water-holding capacity. The compost can supply essential nutrients to a limited extent; however, supplemental fertilizer, particularly N, is usually required. The compost has been used successfully as a sphagnum peat substitute for container media and as a seedbed for turf production. High soluble salts and B, often leading to phytotoxicity, are problems associated with the use of MSW compost. The primary limiting factor for the general use of MSW compost in horticultural crop production at present is the lack of consistent, high-quality compost.


Author(s):  
Shray Saxena ◽  
Walter Den

Abstract On-site sanitation systems such as pit latrines are extensively used around the world, while there is a growing number of evidence documenting the impact of pit latrines on groundwater quality that may affect human health. Hence, this paper summarizes the various safe-sanitation technologies by broadly categorizing them into fecal pathogen disinfection methods (anaerobic digestion, chemical disinfection, biological additives, solar pasteurization and vermicomposting) and capturing methods (pit lining and permeable reactive barriers, the latter of which simultaneously capture and sanitize fecal sludge in pit latrines). While some of the reviewed technologies have been widely practiced for mitigating microbial contamination of the groundwater, others are still in the early stage of commercialization and field validation. Though there are challenges to the selection and adoption of the most appropriate technology, this paper discusses the readiness of each technology as a stand-alone fecal sludge management solution.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Qingxun Zhang ◽  
Shuyi Han ◽  
Kongshang Liu ◽  
Jing Luo ◽  
Jiqi Lu ◽  
...  

Rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) are hosts to a range of zoonotic and potentially zoonotic pathogens. The present study firstly provides a broader investigation of the presence and prevalence of zoonotic fecal pathogens in wild Taihangshan macaques, a subspecies of rhesus macaque in China. A total of 458 fecal samples were collected between September 2015 and November 2016. Fourteen genera of intestinal parasites (four genera of protozoans and ten genera of helminths) and twelve genera of bacteria were tested for using PCR amplification. The overall samples prevalence of parasitic infection was 98.25%. Entamoeba spp. (89.96%), Balantidium coli (70.09%), and Isospora spp. (28.38%) were the most prevalent protozoa, whereas the predominant prevalent helminths were Trichuris sp. (93.23%), Strongyloides spp. (73.36%), and Oesophagostomum sp. (31.66%). Ten genera of intestinal bacteria were detected in samples of rhesus macaques, including Shigella (31.66%), Escherichia coli (29.91%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (28.38%), Leptospira (26.64%), Campylobacter jejuni (18.34%), Salmonella (13.32%), etc. Eight samples (1.75%) were tested Hafnia-positive based on sequences analysis of 16S rRNA and ampC gene. This is the first molecular characterization of Hafnia infection in NHPs. Our cross-sectional prevalence study provides important information for monitoring the potential transmission of zoonotic infections from wild rhesus macaques.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Kuhl ◽  
Lucien Bisimwa ◽  
Elizabeth D. Thomas ◽  
Camille Williams ◽  
Joseph Ntakirutimana ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Research exploring the unique exposure pathways to fecal pathogens for young children and innovative water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) interventions for susceptible pediatric populations is needed to reduce the burden of diarrheal diseases and stunting globally. The Reducing Enteropathy, Diarrhea, Undernutrition, and Contamination in the Environment (REDUCE) program seeks to 1) identify exposure pathways to fecal pathogens that are significant contributors to morbidity for young children in South Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and 2) develop and evaluate scalable interventions that reduce fecal contamination and exposure from these pathways. The formative research portion of the project sought to identify feasible and acceptable WASH interventions to modify behaviors found to be associated with diarrheal disease and impaired growth in our REDUCE cohort study. Methods Ninety-one semi-structured interviews, 6 focus group discussions, and a pilot study of 102 households were conducted during 24 months of formative research. Thirty-one interviews and six focus group discussions were conducted with caregivers, community health workers, and village leaders to explore existing WASH practices and to identify barriers and facilitators to WASH behaviors. Findings were organized using the Integrated Behavioral Model for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene to facilitate interpretation and identify determinants to Baby WASH behaviors in this setting. Care Group modules and enabling technology were developed based on exploratory findings and then revised during a two-part, iterative pilot study. Sixty interviews were conducted with participants in a pilot study of the REDUCE Baby WASH Care Group modules to learn about their experiences with the intervention. Results Six REDUCE Baby WASH Care Group modules were developed based on formative research findings and covered the following topics: 1) living with animals; 2) child mouthing of fomites and feces; 3) composting animal feces; 4) child feces disposal; 5) handwashing with soap; and 6) water treatment. Conclusion This study took a theory-driven and evidence-based approach to formative research and the development of the REDUCE Baby WASH Care Group modules. Intervention design focused on interrupting the exposure routes for infants and young children to fecal pathogens in the environment and promoting low-cost, low-burden Baby WASH behavioral recommendations and enabling technology. These developed REDUCE Baby WASH Care Group modules are currently being rolled out to over 1,000,000 beneficiaries in Democratic Republic of the Congo.


Author(s):  
Christopher E. Doughty ◽  
Tomos Prys-Jones ◽  
Søren Faurby ◽  
Andrew Abraham ◽  
Crystal Hepp ◽  
...  

AbstractThe Late Quaternary extinctions of megafauna (defined as animal species >44.5 kg) reduced the dispersal of seeds and nutrients, and likely also microbes and parasites. Here we use body-mass based scaling and range maps for extinct and extant mammal species to show that these extinctions led to an almost seven-fold reduction in the movement of gut-transported microbes, such as Escherichia coli (3.3 km2/day to 0.5 km2/day). Similarly, the extinctions led to a seven-fold reduction in the mean home ranges of vector-borne pathogens (7.8 km2 to 1.1 km2). To understand the impact of this, we created an individual-based model where an order of magnitude decrease in home range increased maximum aggregated microbial mutations 4-fold after 20,000 years. We hypothesize that pathogen speciation and hence endemism increased with isolation, as global dispersal distances decreased through a mechanism similar to the theory of island biogeography. To investigate if such an effect could be found, we analysed where 145 zoonotic diseases have emerged in human populations and found quantitative estimates of reduced dispersal of ectoparasites and fecal pathogens significantly improved our ability to predict the locations of outbreaks (increasing variance explained by 8%). There are limitations to this analysis which we discuss in detail, but if further studies support these results, they broadly suggest that reduced pathogen dispersal following megafauna extinctions may have increased the emergence of zoonotic pathogens moving into human populations.


2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 70 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cheyenne Conrad ◽  
Kim Stanford ◽  
Claudia Narvaez-Bravo ◽  
Norman Neumann ◽  
Krysty Munns ◽  
...  

This study aimed to better understand the potential public health risk associated with zoonotic pathogens in agricultural fairs and petting zoos in Canada. Prevalence of Salmonella, Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O157:H7, and top six non-O157 STEC serogroups in feces (n = 88), hide/feather (n = 36), and hand rail samples (n = 46) was assessed, as well as distributions of antimicrobial resistant (AMR) broad and extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing E. coli. Prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in pig nasal swabs (n = 4), and Campylobacter, Cryptosporidium, and Giardia in feces was also assessed. Neither Salmonella nor MRSA were detected. Campylobacter spp. were isolated from 32% of fecal samples. Cryptosporidium and Giardia were detected in 2% and 15% of fecal samples, respectively. Only one fecal sample was positive for STEC O157, whereas 22% were positive for non-O157 STEC. Multi-drug resistance (MDR) to antibiotics classified as critically and highly important in human medicine was proportionally greatest in E. coli from cattle feces. The β-lactamase-producing E. coli from pig, horse/donkey feces, and hand rail samples, as well as the STEC E. coli from handrail swabs were MDR. The diversity and prevalence of zoonotic pathogens and AMR bacteria detected within agricultural fairs and petting zoos emphasize the importance of hygienic practices and sanitization with respect to reducing associated zoonotic risks.


2009 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 674-684 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephaney D. Leskinen ◽  
Valerie J. Harwood ◽  
Daniel V. Lim

Same-day microbial water quality assessments are not possible with standard methods, which increases the possibility of public exposure to fecal pathogens. This study examined the efficacy of high-volume hollow fibre ultrafiltration coupled to biosensor detection for enterococci in marine waters to allow same-day public notification of poor water quality. Fifty-six 100 l ultrafiltered samples and 100 ml grab samples were collected weekly from May to July 2007. Post-ultrafiltration processing included sonication and micron sieve passage to remove interfering particulates, followed by centrifugation for secondary concentration. Levels of enterococci in grab and ultrafiltration samples were determined by a standard method (EPA method 1600) for calculation of recovery efficiencies and concentration factors. Each final retentate was analysed with the RAPTOR evanescent wave biosensor. Enterococci levels increased over 26,000-fold in final retentates. Enterococci were detected when ambient concentrations exceeded the regulatory standard for a single sample (≥105 CFU/100 ml), and detection was highly correlated with breaches of the single-sample regulatory limit. The combined procedure required 2.5 h for detection compared with 24 h for EPA method 1600. This field study achieved rapid detection of enterococci by ultrafiltration, secondary concentration and biosensor analysis, and demonstrates its potential usefulness for water quality monitoring.


2001 ◽  
Vol 64 (7) ◽  
pp. 1076-1078 ◽  
Author(s):  
JOHN E. MOORE ◽  
BRIAN McILHATTON ◽  
ADRIENNE SHAW ◽  
PHILIP G. MURPHY ◽  
J. STUART ELBORN

Two hundred forty-eight retail “ready-to-eat” foodstuffs in eight food categories and 134 waters categorized into nine types were analyzed for the presence of the Burkholderia cepacia complex of organisms. Of these, 14 of 26 (53.8%) samples of raw unpasteurized bovine milk were positive for this organism. Consumption of raw unpasteurized milk may therefore act as a potential source of infection with this organism, which is of particular concern for patients with cystic fibrosis, where colonization and infection with this organism can lead to a fatal necrotizing pneumonia and premature death. In addition to the associated risk of infection from fecal pathogens, patients with cystic fibrosis should therefore avoid the consumption of raw unpasteurized milk to minimize the risk of becoming infected with this organism.


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