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Practice of using human excreta as fertilizer and implications for health in Nghean Province, Vietnam.

The ancient practice of applying latrine wastes to agricultural land has maintained soil fertility in Vietnam for several centuries but may be associated with health risks if the wastes are inadequately treated before usage. This study aimed at investigating the perceptions and handling practices using latrine wastes as fertilizers in a community in central Vietnam. Information was collected through structured questionnaire interviews administered to 75 farming households, focus group discussions, and key informant interviews. The majority (64%) of households had a single vault latrine, a possession that was associated with low income (chi2= 12.45; p < 0.05). Most households (85%) used latrine waste in agriculture that was composted before usage (98%). Households often mixed the composted excreta with kitchen ashes and powdered lime likely to increase pH and pathogen die-off. About 28% of households that were applying latrine waste as fertilizer composted three to six months, and only 11 (18%) households composted human excreta for more than the recommended six months. Households with double vault latrines were 7.8 (chi2= 9.4; p<0.05) times more likely to compost human excreta more than six months as compared with households having single vault latrine. Most farmers distributed the latrine wastes with bare hands (66%) because of convenience during application. Respondents with a high educational level used protective gloves more often when distributing latrine wastes in the fields compared to respondents with a low educational level (chi2 = 7.6; p<0.05). If any negative health impacts of latrine waste use in agriculture are to be reduced, then it is suggested that sustainable interventions should take into consideration farmers current excreta-use practices.

Adult↗

Effects of farm management practices on cattle grazing behaviour and the potential for transmission of bovine tuberculosis from badgers to cattle.

Despite the large body of circumstantial evidence to suggest a link, the means by which bovine tuberculosis is passed from badgers to cattle remains unclear; pasture contamination with the urine, faeces and/or sputum of infectious badgers is believed to be the main route of transmission. Therefore the behaviour of grazing cattle was studied to determine whether they avoided investigating and/or grazing pasture contaminated with badger excreta, and whether different farm management practices enhanced the potential for disease transmission. Active latrines were avoided by most cattle until the sward length in the rest of the field was reduced, after which there was an increasing likelihood that active badger latrines would be grazed. Most of the cattle grazed active badger latrines, but cattle of low rank within the herd grazed latrines more heavily. Farm management practices that reduced the availability of long swards shortened the period of investigative behaviour and greatly enhanced the risk that cattle would graze active badger latrines. Cattle were more likely to graze pasture away from latrines that was contaminated either with badger urine or single faeces. Because bacilli remain viable in the soil for up to 2 years, there is the potential for bacilli to accumulate at active badger latrines, and these could pose a significant risk to cattle, even when the latrine is no longer being used by badgers. Cattle readily grazed the lush sward at disused latrines, during which they could ingest contaminated soil; the amount of soil ingested increases as sward length decreases.

Animal Feed↗

Association between intestinal parasitic infections and type of sanitation system in rural El Salvador.

OBJECTIVE: To identify demographic, behavioural and environmental determinants of intestinal parasitic infection, evaluate the impact of a variety of dry sanitation systems on intestinal parasitic infection, and evaluate the safety of using stored biosolids in agriculture in order to guide future sanitation interventions in rural areas of El Salvador. METHODS: Interviews were conducted with 109 households in eight communities where double-vaulted and solar urine-diverting desiccating latrines, pit latrines or no latrines were used. Faecal samples from 499 individuals were tested for enteric helminths and protozoa. RESULTS: Users of solar desiccating latrines had the lowest prevalence of enteric parasite infection. Double-vault, urine-diverting desiccating latrines effectively reduced the transmission of some pathogens, but may not achieve the conditions sufficient for the complete destruction of the more environmentally persistent pathogens, Ascaris lumbricoides and Trichuris trichiura. Contact with inadequately treated latrine biosolids was associated with an increased risk of Ascaris infection. CONCLUSIONS: Solar latrines were associated with the overall lowest prevalence of enteric parasitic infections. Members of households where latrine biosolids were used in agriculture had a higher prevalence of infection than those where biosolids were buried. We therefore recommend the promotion of solar latrines in rural areas of El Salvador over other dry sanitation systems, and recommend that stored biosolids not be used in agriculture.

Adolescent↗

Sanitation and hygiene in urban and rural households in East Africa.

Latrine possession, disposal of children's faeces and waste-water in 1015 households in 33 sites in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda were studied in 1997. Assistants conducted interviews and observed the state and use of latrines, disposal of children's faeces, wastewater, and household socio-demographic characteristics. Latrine possession was 92.4% in Uganda, 95% in Kenya and 99.5% in Tanzania. In unpiped sites, 73.5% of Ugandan, 90.5% of Tanzanian and 95% of Kenyan households had latrines. Over 30% of latrines in rural Uganda were contaminated with faeces, compared with 10% in Tanzania. More latrines in urban Kenya and Uganda had contaminated surroundings than in the rural areas. The mean number of people using a toilet in the urban areas (10) was significantly higher than in rural areas (7), (F = 45.5; P < 0.001). Toilets in Kenya and Uganda were more likely to be fouled than in Tanzania. Households where the head was an educated professional or business person, or the toilet had a door, lid or concrete wall or floor or waste water was disposed of in the latrine, were less likely to have fouled toilets. Most households disposed of the faeces safely with a few placing them in the garden or elsewhere. The study emphasises the need to promote appropriate sanitation and hygiene.

Adult↗

Raccoon roundworm eggs near homes and risk for larva migrans disease, California communities.

The raccoon roundworm, Baylisascaris procyonis, is increasingly recognized as a cause of serious or fatal larva migrans disease in humans and animals. We assessed the potential for infection in three northern California communities by determining the density and distribution of raccoon latrines, where transmission primarily occurs, and the prevalence of eggs at private residences. We collected fecal samples from 215 latrines and found that 44%-53% of the latrines contained B. procyonis eggs and that 16%-32% contained infective eggs. Among the properties surveyed, 28%-49% harbored at least one latrine that was positive for B. procyonis eggs. The latrine densities in these communities were higher than any previously reported. The presence of B. procyonis eggs in raccoon latrines was common, widespread, and closely associated with human habitation. Where raccoon densities are high, education of the public and removal of raccoons may be necessary.

Animals↗

Sanitation, community environments, and childhood diarrhoea in rural Zimbabwe.

Childhood diarrhoea can be transmitted within the household and community environments. This study examined the effect of partial latrine coverage on diarrhoeal morbidity at the household and community levels. Weekly morbidity data on 272 children, aged less than five years, were collected for 45 weeks from October 1996 to August 1997 in two neighbouring semi-arid communities in rural Zimbabwe. The communities were similar except for sanitation. In Community A, 62% of the children lived in households with a latrine, and in Community B, there was no sanitation. Diarrhoeal morbidity was 68% lower in Community A than in Community B. In addition, the children from the households in Community A without a latrine had lower diarrhoeal morbidity than the children in Community B. The inter-community difference in diarrhoeal morbidity was likely to be due to the latrines and associated hygiene education interrupting intra- and inter-household transmission of diarrhoea. The latrines reduced faecal contamination of the community environment, and as diarrhoeal morbidity fell, contact between infectives and susceptibles within the community would also have fallen. The neighbourhoods in Community A where the adjacent households did not have sanitation had higher diarrhoeal morbidity than in the neighbourhoods where one household did have sanitation. The results of the study suggest that sanitation programmes, which share building costs between the state and individuals, i.e. households, and hence, do not achieve complete coverage in a community, benefit the whole community, because the households that cannot afford a latrine experience lower diarrhoeal morbidity due to the safer community environment.

Child↗

Excreta disposal in Dar-es-Salaam.

The sociocultural and socioeconomic situation of sanitation in Dar-es-Salaam (Dsm), Tanzania, was studied with explicit emphasis on pit-latrines. Without considering the sociocultural conditions, the so-called best solution might not be the right one. Therefore, in order to achieve the intended goal, a literature review, a questionnaire survey, and personal visits to the chosen study areas were done. In total, 207 household questionnaires were filled in 16 areas of the city. Interviewers did house-to-house visits and questionnaires were filled out on the spot. Results indicated that the city population is about 3.8 million at present, with over 80% of the dwellers using pit-latrines; some 3% use septic tanks with soakage pits, about 6% are connected to the sewerage system, and 1% have no excreta disposal facility. Difficulties faced include dismal budget allocations, fragmentation of sanitation activities among subsectors, lack of or poor sanitation record keeping, unsatisfactory machinery for septic tank and pit-latrine emptying, lack of a clear policy on pit-latrine handling and, in competition for resources, low priority is accorded to an excreta disposal system among the people. City residents will continue to use the pit-latrines for a long time to come. Reusing the fecal sludge is not known by most city dwellers and is influenced by sociocultural habits. To prevent groundwater pollution and to recover useful products in human excreta and urine, ecological sanitation toilets and anaerobic digesters offer a good option.

Adolescent↗