scholarly journals Globalization and life lost due to tuberculosis: evidence from a multi-country study

F1000Research ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
pp. 1251
Author(s):  
Shyamkumar Sriram ◽  
Muayad Albadrani
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
World Bank ◽  
Causal Link ◽  
Outcome Variable ◽  
Years Of Life Lost ◽  
Primary Health ◽  
Country Study ◽  
Unit Increase ◽  
Treated Drinking Water ◽  
Tuberculosis Mortality

Background: Tuberculosis affects around 30% of the population of the world. Tuberculosis causes an increase in early mortality and thus has the potential to increase the number of years of life lost. Globalization directly or indirectly by affecting the factors that increase the susceptibility for tuberculosis infection has the potential to increase the spread and mortality due to tuberculosis. This study assessed the causal link between globalization and the years of life lost due to tuberculosis. Methods: Data from the Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) and World Bank for 2004 and 2005 were used for a number of covariates and possible mediators. Data from the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) were used for the outcome variable and important globalization indicators. The primary health outcome that was studied is tuberculosis and the measure that was used to quantify tuberculosis mortality is the years of life lost (YLL). Path analysis was used. Results: The main independent variables of economic and social integration were not statistically significant. For every unit increase in the proportion of people that were using treated drinking water, there was a -0.0002 decrease in the YLL due to tuberculosis. For every unit increase in the proportion of people with earth floor, there was a 0.0002 units increase in YLL due to tuberculosis. For every unit increase in the proportion of people living using clean fuel, there was a 0.0004 decrease in the YLL due to tuberculosis. Conclusions: Social and economic globalization have no effect on the years of life lost due to tuberculosis, highlighting that globalization actually does not contribute to tuberculosis mortality. However, improving other important determinants such as sanitation, providing safe drinking water and clean households will reduce the mortality due to tuberculosis, highlighting the need to invest in them.

Detection and Health Risk Associated with Low Virus Concentration in Drinking Water

1985 ◽  
Vol 17 (10) ◽  
pp. 97-103 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Payment ◽  
M. Trudel
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Water Treatment ◽  
Health Problem ◽  
Conventional Treatment ◽  
Probabilistic Approach ◽  
Detection Methods ◽  
Virus Concentration ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Treated Drinking Water ◽  
Dangerous Level

During the last decade, with the amelioration of the detection methods and the increasing number of studies on the subject, the isolation of viruses in treated drinking water has been reported more frequently than ever. These reports have in common the very low number of viruses isolated and these viruses are usually found only after concentration procedures involving several hundred liters of water. Our own studies have shown that during the conventional treatment of drinking water 99.998% of the indigenous viruses are removed. The residual viral fraction does not exceed 10 viruses per 1 000 liters of water. Using a probabilistic approach this viral concentration in drinking water is well below any dangerous level of enteric viruses in water and the presence of these viruses should not be considered as a health problem but more as the limit of the water treatment methodology.

scholarly journals Are children’s stools in Ghana disposed of safely? Evidence from the 2014 Ghana demographic and health survey

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdul-Aziz Seidu
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Health Survey ◽  
Water Source ◽  
Demographic And Health Survey ◽  
Outcome Variable ◽  
Drinking Water Source ◽  
Safe Disposal ◽  
Toilet Facility ◽  
Improved Sanitation ◽  
Northern Zone

Abstract Background Safe disposal of children’s faeces has always been one of the main challenges to good hygiene in Ghana. Although it has been proven that children’s faeces are more likely to spread diseases than adults’ faeces, people usually mistake them for harmlessness. This study, therefore, sought to determine the prevalence and factors associated with safe disposal of children’s faeces in Ghana. Methods Data from the 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey was used for the analysis. A sample size of 2228 mother-child pairs were used for the study. The outcome variable was disposal of children stools. Both bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to identify the factors with safe child stool disposal. Results The prevalence of safe child stool disposal in Ghana was 24.5%. Women in the middle [Adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 4.62; Confidence Interval (CI) = 3.00–7.10], Coastal Zone [AOR = 4.52; CI = 2.82–7.22], mothers whose children were aged 12–17 [AOR = 1.56; CI = 1.15–2.13] and 18–23 months [AOR = 1.75; CI = 1.29–2.39], and mothers whose household had improved type of toilet facility [AOR = 2.04; CI = 1.53–2.73] had higher odds of practicing safe children’s faeces disposal. However, women from households with access to improved source of drinking water [AOR = 0.62; CI = 0.45–2.7] had lower odds of practicing safe children’s faeces disposal. Conclusion Approximately only about 25 out of 100 women practice safe disposal of their children’s faeces in Ghana. The age of the child, ecological zone, the type of toilet facilities, and the type of drinking water source are associated with the disposal of child faeces. These findings have proven that only improved sanitation (i.e. drinking water and toilet facilities) are not enough for women to safely dispose of their children’s faeces. Therefore, in addition to provision of toilet facilities especially in the northern zone of Ghana, there is also the need to motivate and educate mothers on safe disposal of children’s stools especially those with children below 12 months. More so, mothers without access to improved toilet facility should also be educated on the appropriate ways to bury their children’s stools safely.

scholarly journals Cyanobacteria and microcystin contamination in untreated and treated drinking water in Ghana

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gloria Naa Dzama Addico ◽  
Jörg D. Hardege ◽  
Jiri Kohoutek ◽  
Kweku Amoaku Atta DeGraft-Johnson ◽  
Pavel Babica
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Water Treatment ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Metropolitan Area ◽  
Cyanobacterial Blooms ◽  
Maximal Concentration ◽  
Raw Water ◽  
Treated Water ◽  
Treated Drinking Water ◽  
Who Guideline

<p>Although cyanobacterial blooms and cyanotoxins represent a worldwide-occurring phenomenon, there are large differences among different countries in cyanotoxin-related human health risk assessment, management practices and policies. While national standards, guideline values and detailed regulatory frameworks for effective management of cyanotoxin risks have been implemented in many industrialized countries, the extent of cyanobacteria occurrence and cyanotoxin contamination in certain geographical regions is under-reported and not very well understood. Such regions include major parts of tropical West and Central Africa, a region constisting of more than 25 countries occupying an area of 12 million km<sup>2</sup>, with a total population of 500 milion people. Only few studies focusing on cyanotoxin occurrence in this region have been published so far, and reports dealing specifically with cyanotoxin contamination in drinking water are extremely scarce. In this study, we report seasonal data on cyanobacteria and microcystin (MC) contamination in drinking water reservoirs and adjacent treatment plants located in Ghana, West Africa. During January-June 2005, concentrations of MCs were monitored in four treatment plants supplying drinking water to major metropolitan areas in Ghana: the treatment plants Barekese and Owabi, which serve Kumasi Metropolitan Area, and the plants Kpong and Weija, providing water for Accra-Tema Metropolitan Area. HPLC analyses showed that 65% samples of raw water at the intake of the treatment plants contained intracellular MCs (maximal detected concentration was 8.73 µg L<sup>-1</sup>), whereas dissolved toxins were detected in 33% of the samples. Significant reduction of cyanobacterial cell counts and MC concentrations was achieved during the entire monitoring period by the applied conventional water treatment methods (alum flocculation, sedimentation, rapid sand filtration and chlorination), and MC concentration in the final treated water never exceeded 1 µg L<sup>-1</sup> (WHO guideline limit for MCs in drinking water). However, cyanobacterial cells (93-3,055 cell mL<sup>-1</sup>) were frequently found in the final treated water and intracellular MCs were detected in 17% of the samples (maximal concentration 0.61 µg L<sup>-1</sup>), while dissolved MCs were present in 14% of the final treated water samples (maximal concentration 0.81 µg L<sup>-1</sup>). It indicates a borderline efficiency of the water treatment, thus MC concentrations in drinking water might exceed the WHO guideline limit if the treatment efficiency gets compromised. In addition, MC concentrations found in the raw water intake might represent significant human health risks for people living in areas with only a limited access to the treated or underground drinking water.</p>

scholarly journals Development of an Internal Control for Evaluation and Standardization of a Quantitative PCR Assay for Detection of Helicobacter pylori in Drinking Water

2007 ◽  
Vol 73 (22) ◽  
pp. 7380-7387 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keya Sen ◽  
Nancy A. Schable ◽  
Dennis J. Lye
Keyword(s):  
Helicobacter Pylori ◽  
Drinking Water ◽  
Quantitative Pcr ◽  
Water Samples ◽  
Sodium Thiosulfate ◽  
Qpcr Assay ◽  
E Coli ◽  
H Pylori ◽  
Labeled Probe ◽  
Treated Drinking Water

ABSTRACT Due to metabolic and morphological changes that can prevent Helicobacter pylori cells in water from growing on conventional media, an H. pylori-specific TaqMan quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay was developed that uses a 6-carboxyfluorescein-labeled probe (A. E. McDaniels, L. Wymer, C. Rankin, and R. Haugland, Water Res. 39:4808-4816, 2005). However, proper internal controls are needed to provide an accurate estimate of low numbers of H. pylori in drinking water. In this study, the 135-bp amplicon described by McDaniels et al. was modified at the probe binding region, using PCR mutagenesis. The fragment was incorporated into a single-copy plasmid to serve as a PCR-positive control and cloned into Escherichia coli to serve as a matrix spike. It was shown to have a detection limit of five copies, using a VIC dye-labeled probe. A DNA extraction kit was optimized that allowed sampling of an entire liter of water. Water samples spiked with the recombinant E. coli cells were shown to behave like H. pylori cells in the qPCR assay. The recombinant E. coli cells were optimized to be used at 10 cells/liter of water, where they were shown not to compete with 5 to 3,000 cells of H. pylori in a duplex qPCR assay. Four treated drinking water samples spiked with H. pylori (100 cells) demonstrated similar cycle threshold values if the chlorine disinfectant was first neutralized by sodium thiosulfate.

scholarly journals Socioeconomic Impacts of LCD-Treated Drinking Water Distribution in an Urban Community of the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal

Water ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 1323
Author(s):  
Shrestha ◽  
Kamei ◽  
Shrestha ◽  
Aihara ◽  
Bhattarai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Water Distribution ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Water Security ◽  
Control Site ◽  
Socioeconomic Impact ◽  
Kathmandu Valley ◽  
Socioeconomic Impacts ◽  
Treated Water ◽  
Treated Drinking Water

Groundwater available in the Kathmandu Valley is not suitable for drinking due to chemical and microbial contamination. We installed a treatment system, which was made with locally available materials and was low-cost, and supplied drinking water to the intervention site where groundwater contains high amounts of ammonia, iron, and turbidity. This research aims to evaluate the socioeconomic impact of treated water distribution. One hundred households were randomly selected and asked to use treated water for drinking, and another 100 households in the nearby community were taken randomly as a control. We conducted questionnaire surveys with the enrolled households before and five months after starting water distribution to assess the water use patterns and quality perceptions. The socioeconomic impact of the intervention was evaluated by a prepost comparison and by the difference-in-difference method. The intervention significantly enhanced most of the parameters of water quality perception, reduced the in-house water treatment, and improved the perceived water stress and quality of life. For the control site, these parameters generally became worse in the post-survey, which suggests that the survey might have affected people’s mindset regarding water security. The system is an option for sustainable management of drinking water in the water-scarce, hard-hit areas in the developing countries.

Application of a molecular method for the detection of group A rotaviruses in raw and treated water

2004 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
pp. 223-228 ◽  
Author(s):  
W.B. van Zyl ◽  
P.J. Williams ◽  
W.O.K. Grabow ◽  
M.B. Taylor
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Water Samples ◽  
Viral Gastroenteritis ◽  
Treated Water ◽  
Source Of Infection ◽  
Drinking Waters ◽  
Group A Rotaviruses ◽  
Group A ◽  
Treated Drinking Water ◽  
Drinking Water Samples

Group A human rotaviruses (HRVs) are the most important aetiological agents of acute viral gastroenteritis in infants and young children in both developing and industrialised countries. Rotaviruses are resistant to many chemical disinfectants and reportedly survive well in treated tapwater and sewage. In this study a group A specific reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) followed by a nested-PCR was applied for the detection of HRVs in raw and treated drinking-water samples drawn at a water reclamation plant. For a period of two years (July 2000 to June 2002), borehole, raw and treated drinking-water samples were collected weekly. Viruses were recovered from the water samples using a glass wool adsorption-elution technique followed by secondary concentration using precipitation with polyethylene glycol. In the first year of the study group A HRVs were detected in 11% sewage samples, 8% partially treated waters and 5% final treated drinking waters. The results of the second year of the study showed the presence of group A HRVs in 11% sewage and untreated surface water samples, 15% partially treated water and 6.5% final treated drinking waters. No HRVs were detected in the water samples from the boreholes. The presence of group A HRVs in treated drinking-water samples suggested that this water could be a potential source of infection to consumers. The data also implied that either the water treatment did not remove HRVs or the treated water was contaminated post-treatment.

scholarly journals Cometabolism of Trihalomethanes by Nitrosomonas europaea

2005 ◽  
Vol 71 (12) ◽  
pp. 7980-7986 ◽  
Author(s):  
David G. Wahman ◽  
Lynn E. Katz ◽  
Gerald E. Speitel
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Rate Constants ◽  
Degradation Kinetics ◽  
Drinking Water Treatment ◽  
Nitrosomonas Europaea ◽  
Ammonia Nitrogen ◽  
Degradation Rates ◽  
Ammonia Oxidizing Bacterium ◽  
Treated Drinking Water ◽  
Bromine Substitution

ABSTRACT The ammonia-oxidizing bacterium Nitrosomonas europaea (ATCC 19718) was shown to degrade low concentrations (50 to 800 μg/liter) of the four trihalomethanes (trichloromethane [TCM], or chloroform; bromodichloromethane [BDCM]; dibromochloromethane [DBCM]; and tribromomethane [TBM], or bromoform) commonly found in treated drinking water. Individual trihalomethane (THM) rate constants ( \batchmode \documentclass[fleqn,10pt,legalpaper]{article} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amsmath} \pagestyle{empty} \begin{document} \(k_{1_{THM}}\) \end{document} ) increased with increasing THM bromine substitution, with TBM > DBCM > BDCM > TCM (0.23, 0.20, 0.15, and 0.10 liters/mg/day, respectively). Degradation kinetics were best described by a reductant model that accounted for two limiting reactants, THMs and ammonia-nitrogen (NH3-N). A decrease in the temperature resulted in a decrease in both ammonia and THM degradation rates with ammonia rates affected to a greater extent than THM degradation rates. Similarly to the THM degradation rates, product toxicity, measured by transformation capacity (Tc ), increased with increasing THM bromine substitution. Because both the rate constants and product toxicities increase with increasing THM bromine substitution, a water's THM speciation will be an important consideration for process implementation during drinking water treatment. Even though a given water sample may be kinetically favored based on THM speciation, the resulting THM product toxicity may not allow stable treatment process performance.

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