Estimating the Risk of Acute Gastrointestinal Disease Attributed to E. coli O157:H7 in Irrigation Water and Agricultural Soil: A Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment

Chidozie Declan Iwu, Chinwe Juliana Iwu-Jaja, Anthony Ifeanyin Okoh, Michael Ekubu Otim and Amina M. Al Marzouqi
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Chidozie Declan Iwu: SAMRC Microbial Water Quality Monitoring Centre, University of Fort Hare, Alice 5700, South Africa
Chinwe Juliana Iwu-Jaja: Division of Health Systems and Public Health, Department of Global Health, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch 7602, South Africa
Anthony Ifeanyin Okoh: SAMRC Microbial Water Quality Monitoring Centre, University of Fort Hare, Alice 5700, South Africa
Michael Ekubu Otim: Department of Health Sciences Administration, University of Sharjah, Sharjah P.O. Box 27272, United Arab Emirates
Amina M. Al Marzouqi: Department of Health Sciences Administration, University of Sharjah, Sharjah P.O. Box 27272, United Arab Emirates

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 3, 1-14

Abstract: Introduction: The occurrence of E. coli O157:H7 in the agricultural environment poses a serious threat to public health. The primary aim was to estimate the probability of illness caused by E. coli O157:H7 in irrigation water and agricultural soil niches. Methods: The Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment was used and the risks were characterized using the Monte Carlo simulation with 10,000 iterations. Results: The mean levels of E. coli O157:H7 in the irrigation water and agricultural soil samples was 1.328 × 10 3 CFU/100 mL (Range: 0.00 to 13.000 × 10 3 CFU/100 mL) and 2.482 × 10 3 CFU/g (Range: 0.167 × 10 3 to 16.333 × 10 3 CFU/g), respectively. The risk of infection in humans exposed to this water and soil was 100%. In addition, a high risk of acute diarrheal disease was estimated at 25.0 × 10 −2 for humans exposed to contaminated water and/or soil. Summary: These results exceeded the WHO diarrheal disease risk standard of 1.0 × 10 −3 . These findings demonstrated a high probability of acute gastrointestinal disease among humans exposed to E. coli O157:H7 in irrigation water and agricultural soil samples collected from the study sites representing a huge public health threat.

Keywords: diarrhoea; modelling; agroecosystem; microbial hazard; public health (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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