title: Spatial distribution of diarrhoea and microbial quality of domestic water during an outbreak of diarrhoea in the Tshikuwi community in Venda, South Africa.
abstract: Total microbial quality assessment and geographical information system were used for evaluating the quality of water and the spatial distribution of diarrhoea cases in Tshikuwi, a rural community in South Africa, during an outbreak of diarrhoea. The water-abstraction points included two groundwater storage tanks, namely Tank 1 and Tank 2 and the Khandanama river. Indicator microbial counts for total coliforms, faecal coliforms, enterococci, and heterotrophic bacteria exceeded the limit for no risk as stipulated by the South African water-quality guidelines for domestic use for Tank 1 and the Khandanama river. Vibrio, Salmonella, and Shigella species were prevalent in the Khandanama river. The spatial distribution of diarrhoea cases showed a hot-spot of diarrhoea cases close to Tank 1 and the Khandanama river. Results of chi-square analysis showed that the proportion of infection from each water source was different or that infection depends on the type of water source (alpha = 0.05). The demonstrated spatial clustering of diarrhoea cases might have been influenced by the poor microbial quality of water used from Tank 1 and the Khandanama river. The results further highlight the urgent need of water-treatment facilities and monitoring of water quality in rural communities of South Africa.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Molecular Microbiology, Department of Microbiology, University of Venda, Thohoyandou, South Africa. bessong@univen.ac.za
authors.forename: Pascal O
authors.initials: PO
authors.lastname: Bessong
authors.forename: John O
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Odiyo
authors.forename: Justice N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Musekene
authors.forename: Abera
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tessema
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D013019:South Africa / Q000453:epidemiology; D014871:Water Microbiology; D014881:Water Supply / Q000592:standards