Cross-sectional Epidemiologic Study of Well-Water Quality and Prevalence of Gastroenteritis in a Developing Country

Poor water quality and lack of standard personal hygiene may be related to the prevalence of diarrhea and gastroenteritis. On-site rapid tests capable of detecting the water quality indicators may be helpful in correlating the presence of total coliform bacteria and the occurrence of water-related diseases; consequently helping to design effective public health interventions.

A cross-sectional epidemiologic study design was conducted to assess the quality of well-water and the prevalence of gastroenteritis among the residents of rural Farato, The Gambia (7,000 residents). An on-site rapid test for coliform bacteria and E. coli was done with the IDEXX Colilert® pre-dispensed 10 mL MPN tubes. Residents of households using the tested wells were surveyed for information on the prevalence of gastroenteritis. One hundred and eleven (83.46%) of the 133 sampled well-water were positive for coliform bacteria and E. coli. Seventy-three (54%) of 134 people surveyed reported two or more symptoms indicative of gastroenteritis (presumptive gastroenteritis). Sixty-two (84.9%) of these seventy-three people had coliform bacteria and E. coli in their well-water. The correlations of the presence of coliform bacteria and E. coli, well characteristics (lined, not-lined, etc.) and the prevalence of presumptive gastroenteritis will be discussed.

The presence of coliform bacteria and E. coli in a drinking well-water may be used to identify potential gastroenteritis outbreaks in rural areas. In addition, this simple process can potentially identify risk factors for water-related diseases from source and point-of-use; thus, helping public health officials to design an effective intervention to improve water quality in developing countries.