The Role of Street Food Vendors in the Transmission of Enteric pathogens in Accra

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