Patterns of fecal coliform contamination in day-care centers.
During a six-month period, on four separate occasions, six licensed day-care centers had cultures taken from environmental surfaces as well as the hands of children and teachers. Fecal coliforms were recovered from 64 (9.5%) of the 675 surfaces sampled. Recovery rate was not influenced by a center's socioeconomic status, time of year, or presence of children who were not toilet trained. Recovery rates did differ significantly in different areas, with the kitchen showing a relatively high recovery rate (19%), and toys and toilets showing remarkably low rates (2% and 4%). Centers with formal hand-washing procedures had lower recovery rates than those without such practices. We also demonstrated a high recovery rate from hands of staff (16%); 6% of children had positive cultures. Contamination of hands and classroom objects is a potential source for the transmission of enteric diseases for children in day-care centers. A program directed at reducing contamination would be important in preventing the spread of diarrheal illness.
Holaday
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B
Department of Family Health Care Nursing, University of California, San Francisco.
Pantell
R
R
Lewis
C
C
Gilliss
C L
CL
D002648:Child; D002656:Child Day Care Centers / Q000592:standards*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004755:Enterobacteriaceae / Q000254:growth & development*; D004783:Environmental Microbiology; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D012495:San Francisco