The Role of Street Food Vendors in the Transmission of Enteric pathogens in Accra
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Date
1999-03
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Ghana Medical Journal
Abstract
The role of street food vendors in the transmission of
diarrhoeal pathogens was evaluated by assessing their
knowledge on the definition of diarrhoea and transmission
of diarrhoeal pathogens. Stool and blood
cultures as well as the Widal test was carried to deter·
mi ne their carrier status on a number of bacterial enteropathogens.
All the vendors were female which emphasises the
Important role women play in the provision of food
through street food vending activities. They provide
useful Service to the community by selling food to
school children. market women, traders and workers.
The level of education of these females was low and
this reflected in their knowledge on the definition..
causes and transmission of enteric pathogens. Their
personal hygiene was however good but the environment was often littered with garbage.
A number of diarrhoeal pathogens were isolated from
66(37.5%) of these individuals. Salmonella '\P was
isolated from 6(3.4%), Shigella from 2(1. 1%). Enteropathugenic
E.coli (EPEC) from 59 (33.5%) and enteroaggressive
E.coli (EPEC) from 34( 19.3%).
Mixed enteric infection was common: seventeen had
two different bacteria. Six had three and one had four
different bacteria and another one had five.
A total of 176 blood samples were cultured for bacteria
and out of these only 1(0.6%) tested positive for
Pasteurella gallinarium. In the Widal test only 153
serum samples were tested for antibodies to S typhi
and 15(9.8%) titre of 1:80 to the somatic antigen.
These were positive according to the manufacturers
specifications but comparison with the stool and blood
culture results showed that only one subject among
this group actually had confirmed S typhi infection
The screening of food handlers for enteric pathogens
may be difficult to monitor SO food and personal hygiene
education is recommended. Although the effectiveness
of the Widal as a diagnostic tool for typhoidfever
was not included in the initial objectives. the
study showed that the Widal test cannot be used in
isolation from laboratory results. This is even more
difficult in the absence of a National Cut-Off Point. A
survey to provide such data is also obvious
Description
Journal Article
Keywords
Food vendor, enteric pathogens, transmission, Widal test