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QUALITY OF SOURCE WATER IN A RURAL AREA OF GUATEMALA

2003; Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; Volume: 14; Issue: Supplement Linguagem: Inglês

10.1097/00001648-200309001-00052

1531-5487

Beatriz López, M C Diaz Alvarez, C Mendoza, C.P. Gerba, Juan Mariano Camarillo Naranjo, S Luby, Robert Klein,

Child Nutrition and Water Access

Over 75% of the world's.population lives in underdeveloped areas without access to safe drinking water. Water sources are scarce and frequently heavily contaminated. This has been linked to severe health problems, including diarrheal disease which causes an estimated 2.2 million deaths per year. In Latin America, it is estimated that 40% of households receive water inadequately treated or not treated at all. Water treatment to assure safe drinking water is not routinely performed in rural areas of Guatemala although municipal governments are compelled by law to disinfect water. Even though local villagers consider their water to be clean, it is generally thought by the scientific community that water in rural areas is unsafe. We studied the quality of the water sources of ten rural communities of San Juan Sacatepequez, located 30 kilometers from Guatemala City. The sources selected were available most of the year and frequently used. Initial water samples were collected during 1999 from a cross-sectional pilot study. These samples were analyzed for water quality for presence of bacteria, parasites and viruses. The samples screened for bacteria were processed using a modification of the most probable number method and tested with Colilert Quanti-tray® to quantify total coliforms and Escherichia coli. Water samples were collected using the USEPA Information Collection Rule (ICR) method for concentration and detection of protozoan parasites and viruses and measured by immunofluorescent assay (IFA) and cell culture assays, respectively. Additionally, the concentrates were subjected to community DNA extraction followed by PCR amplification and sequencing to identify the presence of Cyclospora cayetanensis and Microsporidia. Of a total of 35 water samples screened for bacteria, 25 (77%) showed presence of E. coli with an average contamination level of 2 x 103 UFC/100 ml. Ten of the most contaminated sources, with the highest levels of total coliforms and E. coli were examined for parasites and viruses. Of the 10 sample sites, seven were confirmed positive for Giardia lamblia and three for Cryptosporidium parvum. Enteroviruses were found in three out of the 10 sample sites. Six samples showed positive amplification for Microsporidial DNA and three were confirmed for C. cayetanensis. The most effective microbiological monitoring of water sources and drinking water in general is the determination of the presence of bacteria, especially E. coli, but water might contain a range of pathogens which would represent different risks. The non-bacterial pathogens found are the first documented reports of parasite and viruses found in drinking water in the country. Giardia and Cryptosporidium are not sensitive to regular disinfection by chlorine, its finding draws attention to the need of identifying other intervention strategies for their elimination. The results of this study demonstrate high levels of bacterial, parasitic and viral contamination on water sources in these rural communities. Water sources in these areas consist of reservoirs fed by springs or wells and available water is frequently contaminated by both human and animal feces.