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. 1989 Apr;102(2):309–316. doi: 10.1017/s0950268800029988

Bacterial contamination of stored water and stored food: a potential source of diarrhoeal disease in West Africa.

K Mølbak 1, N Højlyng 1, S Jepsen 1, K Gaarslev 1
PMCID: PMC2249431  PMID: 2703024

Abstract

The food and water hygiene in two Liberian communities was studied in a house-to-house diarrhoea survey. The level of contamination with enterobacteria of drinking water stored in the households was significantly higher than at the water sources. Food hygiene standards were low, particularly in the urban slum where storage of cooked food for long periods led to bacterial multiplication at high levels. Infant foods were particularly heavily contaminated. It is concluded that when water supply programmes are planned, the presence of other risk factors for water-related diseases should be investigated. To ensure maximum health benefits, water projects should as a rule be accompanied by other interventions.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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