ABSTRACT

The presence of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus spp. was determined on the skin, personal protective equipment, the municipal vehicle, and various surfaces at ten households in a peri-urban community (KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa) before and after manual emptying of ventilated improved pit latrines. Surface samples (n = 14) were collected using sterile wet wipes, and target bacteria were detected using standard procedures. Additionally, E. coli was enumerated in soil samples from an area of open defecation (log₁₀ 3.7 MPN/g) and areas where geophagia occurred (log₁₀ 2.7 – log₁₀ 3.3 MPN/g), using a most probable number (MPN) method. The detection frequency for the target bacteria on household surfaces (e.g., the walkway between the pit latrine and the municipal vehicle) and on municipal workers’ hands (which were frequently contaminated before pit emptying), occasionally increased after the pits were emptied, indicating that manual pit emptying might pose a potential health risk to workers and community members.

摘要

大肠杆菌和葡萄球菌属的存在。在人工排空通风改良坑式厕所前后，在城郊社区（南非夸祖鲁-纳塔尔省）的 10 个家庭的皮肤、个人防护设备、市政车辆和各种表面上进行了测定。使用无菌湿巾收集表面样品 (n = 14)，并使用标准程序检测目标细菌。此外，在露天排便区域 (log ₁₀ 3.7 MPN/g) 和发生食土现象的区域 (log ₁₀ 2.7 – log ₁₀ )的土壤样本中也发现了大肠杆菌。3.3 MPN/g），使用最可能数（MPN）方法。家庭表面（例如，坑式厕所和市政车辆之间的人行道）和市政工人手上（在坑排空前经常被污染）上的目标细菌的检测频率，在坑排空后偶尔会增加，表明人工清空坑可能对工人和社区成员构成潜在的健康风险。