Bacteriologic studies of food and water consumed by children in Myanmar: 1. The nature of contamination.
To isolate major bacterial pathogens from children's food and drinking water, a 3-month study was conducted in a suburban community in Yangon, Myanmar. From the morning meals and stored drinking water of 208 randomly selected children, 775 food and 113 water samples were collected and were cultured using standard methods. Escherichia coli, Vibrio cholerae non-01, and Salmonella were isolated from 505, 28 and 6 food samples respectively, and E. coli and V. cholerae non-01 were isolated from 29 and 5 water samples respectively. Among the E. coli isolates, 8 produced heat-stable toxin (ST) and 3 were enteroinvasive. Nine V. cholerae non-01 produced cholera-like toxin. Of the 29 E. coli isolates from the samples of drinking water, 3 produced ST. All water samples were negative for Salmonella. The study underscores the importance of bacterial contamination of children's food and drinking water and stresses the need to improve environmental sanitation.
Bacteriology Division, Department of Medical Research, Yangon, Myanmar.
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D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000254:growth & development*; D005516:Food Microbiology; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D007223:Infant; D012475:Salmonella / Q000254:growth & development*; D014734:Vibrio cholerae / Q000254:growth & development*; D014871:Water Microbiology; D014881:Water Supply
D001427:Bacterial Toxins