title: Simple sari cloth filtration of water is sustainable and continues to protect villagers from cholera in Matlab, Bangladesh.
abstract: A simple method for filtering water to reduce the incidence of cholera was tested in a field trial in Matlab, Bangladesh, and proved effective. A follow-up study was conducted 5 years later to determine whether the filtration method continued to be employed by villagers and its impact on the incidence of cholera. A total of 7,233 village women collecting water daily for their households in Bangladesh were selected from the same study population of the original field trial for interviewing. Analysis of the data showed that 31% of the women used a filter of which 60% used sari filters for household water. Results showed that sari filtration not only was accepted and sustained by the villagers and benefited them, including their neighbors not filtering water, in reducing the incidence of cholera, the latter being an unexpected benefit.
authors.affiliation: Maryland Pathogen Research Institute, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA.
authors.forename: Anwar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Huq
authors.forename: Mohammed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yunus
authors.forename: Syed Salahuddin
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Sohel
authors.forename: Abbas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bhuiya
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Emch
authors.forename: Stephen P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Luby
authors.forename: Estelle
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Russek-Cohen
authors.forename: G Balakrish
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Nair
authors.forename: R Bradley
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Sack
authors.forename: Rita R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Colwell