Muddying the Waters: A New Area of Concern for Drinking Water Contamination in Cameroon

Abstract

In urban Maroua, Cameroon, improved drinking water sources are available to a large majority of the population, yet this water is frequently distributed through informal distribution systems and stored in home containers (canaries), leaving it vulnerable to contamination. We assessed where contamination occurs within the distribution system, determined potential sources of environmental contamination, and investigated potential pathogens. Gastrointestinal health status (785 individuals) was collected via health surveys. Drinking water samples were collected from drinking water sources and canaries. Escherichia coli and total coliform levels were evaluated and molecular detection was performed to measure human-associated faecal marker, HF183; tetracycline-resistance gene, tetQ; Campylobacter spp.; and Staphylococcus aureus. Statistical analyses were performed to evaluate the relationship between microbial contamination and gastrointestinal illness. Canari samples had higher levels of contamination than source samples. HF183 and tetQ were detected in home and source samples. An inverse relationship was found between tetQ and E. coli. Presence of tetQ with lower E. coli levels increased the odds of reported diarrhoeal illness than E. coli levels alone. Further work is warranted to better assess the relationship between antimicrobial-resistant bacteria and other pathogens in micro-ecosystems within canaries and this relationship’s impact on drinking water quality.

Characterization of the gut microbiota of Nicaraguan children in a water insecure context

“…Our direct observations of in‐home water storage and use identified numerous opportunities for the introduction of fecal‐contaminated material into drinking water. Other studies have reported similar findings (Ashbolt, ; Healy‐Profitós et al, ; Jensen et al, ; Mattioli et al, ). For example, Healy‐Profitós et al (), in a study in urban Cameroon, found that stored household drinking water had higher levels of contamination with enteric pathogens than source water.…”

“…Other studies have reported similar findings (Ashbolt, ; Healy‐Profitós et al, ; Jensen et al, ; Mattioli et al, ). For example, Healy‐Profitós et al (), in a study in urban Cameroon, found that stored household drinking water had higher levels of contamination with enteric pathogens than source water. Similar to our findings, the authors point to in‐home water use behaviors, such as the dipping of cups, bowls, and hands into storage containers, as likely pathways by which pathogens were introduced into drinking water.…”

“…Notably, even in places where household drinking water sources are chemically (e.g., chlorination) or physically treated (e.g., sand filtration), insufficient access, due to randomly timed cut‐offs or inadequate flow rates, often leads to water storage within homes, which presents opportunities for recontamination with enteric pathogens (Ashbolt, ; Healy‐Profitós et al, , ; Jensen et al, ; Mattioli, Pickering, Gilsdorf, Davis, & Boehm, ). The routine use of unsafely managed water for drinking, food preparation, and bathing places young children at risk of exposure to waterborne enteric pathogens—with potential implications for their immediate and long‐term health, including environmental enteropathy.…”

Variations of Drinking Water Quality Influenced by Seasons and Household Interventions: A Case Study from Rural Maharashtra, India

“…As there is no alternative to water storage given the current supply situation, HWTS interventions and WASH practices are crucial to ensure acceptable water quality throughout the year at the point of consumption. Storage cleaning processes should also encompass transport vessels, as these were in other cases found to be the main sources for drinking water contamination [17]. The free provision of chlorine solution to households during the monsoon season can be considered as an effective measure to enable households, at least in the high-risk season, to improve their water quality prior to consumption and thus prevent diarrhea.…”

Beef consumption and consumers knowledge on meat quality in Maroua in the Far North of Cameroon

“…Sampling strategy was done using a gridded map and random selection method as described by Profitós et al (2014) with some modifications. Briefly, the update of the topographic sheet of Maroua NC-000 33-61/250 000 published by Army Map Service (S & H) in 1960 was used.…”