Foodborne illness among school children in Ga east, Accra

Abstract

SUMMARYBackground: A food borne illness was reported in GaEast district of Greater Accra Region among school children in May, 2007 after eating food provided at school. The objective of the investigation was to determine the source, mode of contamination and the causative agent. Methods: A case-control study was conducted, cases were schoolchildren with abdominal symptoms and controls were children of the same sex and class without any symptom during the same period. The school children were selected by systematic sampling. Food handlers and the children were interviewed by a structured questionnaire. Food handlers were physically examined and their stools and blood examined. The kitchen for food preparation was inspected. Risks of food borne infection from the foods eaten were determined using attack rates . Results: The minimum, peak and maximum incubation periods were 2, 11 and 61 hours respectively. The source was rice and groundnut soup (with the highest attack rate difference). Stool and blood samples of food handlers were not infective. Storage facility for food items was poor. No food samples were available for organism isolation. A protocol to prevent such outbreaks was nonexistent. Conclusion: The short incubation period and symptoms presented suggest an infective origin. The storage of the meat may potentially have been the point of contamination. The study showed that the schoolchildren ate contaminated food although the investigation could not determine the causative agent. Protocols to prevent such outbreaks need to be developed for the schools.

Food law compliance in developed and developing countries: Comparing school kitchens in Lincolnshire–UK and Ashanti Region of Ghana

“…Food after preparation were kept in cooking pots until service and kept on cooking tripod (locally made cookers) or gas stoves with fire quenched to avoid burning and utility cost. This supports Malm et al (2015) who reported of poor storage facilities and absence of protocols to prevent food poisoning incidences in affected 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64Ghanaian schools in Accra the capital city. This was contrary to the UK condition where all schools had temperature monitoring devices and equipment.…”

“…Johnson et al, (2008) recommended for the improvement of food safety in the country. Food poisoning occur in schools in both the developed and developing countries (Ababio & Lovatt, 2015;Malm et al, 2015;Marzano and Balzaratti, 2013;Rodriquez Caturla, 2012;Gupta & Gupta, 2009;Meldrum, Mannion, & Garside, 2009;Santana, Almeida, Ferreira, & Almeida, 2009;Sneed &Henroid, 2007 andDaniels et al, 2002) and the Ministry of Health in Ghana reported of 1348 children suffering from food poisoning in the year 2007 in the capital city alone (Ministry of Health, 2007) however the affected schools in Ghana were reported to have poor food storage facilities and lacked protocols to prevent reoccurrence (Malm et al, 2015;Gupta & Gupta, 2009). In developed countries causes of foodborne illness are often traced and corrective measures taken by management (Meldrum et al, 2009;Daniels et al, 2002) to prevent reoccurrence as part of standard operating procedures.…”

Determinants of hand hygiene practice at critical times among food handlers in educational institutions in Sagnarigu Municipality of Ghana: A cross-sectional study

“…Rice and groundnut soup, stew, "wakye" and "shitor", "banku", "kenkey", macroni, salad, and water are the commonly contaminated foods in Ghanaian schools. 6,23,26,27 Food handlers in educational institutions are always noted in reported cases of foodborne diseases. 23,26 Indeed, food handlers in Ghanaian schools operate in poor sanitary conditions.…”

“…6,23,26,27 Food handlers in educational institutions are always noted in reported cases of foodborne diseases. 23,26 Indeed, food handlers in Ghanaian schools operate in poor sanitary conditions. 28 Furthermore, the hands of food handlers are known as the principal source of food contamination.…”

Microbial Water Quality Assessment of Packaged Drinking Water of Pre-School Children in some Parts of Accra

“…In public schools, the Government of Ghana through the School Feeding Program, provide meals to about 1.69 million children nationwide, representing a coverage of 37.4% (MOGCSP, 2016). The risk of food contamination among school children is well documented in literature (Osei-Tutu & Anto, 2016;Malm et al, 2015;Monney et al, 2013;Newman, 2005) and 88% of cases of diarrhea-related diseases worldwide are attributable to unsafe water, inadequate sanitation or insufficient hygiene. Typically, children under five years in crèches go to school with their own packaged drinking water in reusable bottles, refilled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles, commercially packaged bottled water or sachet water from water vendors or from school canteens etc.…”