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Household fish preparation hygiene and cholera transmission in Monrovia, Liberia.

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dc.contributor Médecins Sans Frontières Belgium, Brussels, Belgium. Pauline.Scheelbeek@gmail.com
dc.creator Scheelbeek, P
dc.creator Treglown, S
dc.creator Reid, T
dc.creator Maes, P
dc.date 2009-07
dc.date.accessioned 2017-01-31T07:15:47Z
dc.date.available 2017-01-31T07:15:47Z
dc.identifier Household fish preparation hygiene and cholera transmission in Monrovia, Liberia. 2009, 3 (9):727-31 J Infect Dev Ctries
dc.identifier 1972-2680
dc.identifier 19858575
dc.identifier http://hdl.handle.net/10144/88075
dc.identifier http://fieldresearch.msf.org/msf/handle/10144/88075
dc.identifier Journal of Infection in Developing Countries
dc.identifier.uri http://dspace.mediu.edu.my:8181/xmlui/handle/10144/88075
dc.description BACKGROUND: In the 1980s Vibrio cholerae was found to be an autochthonous resident of aquatic environments. As result, ingestion of undercooked, contaminated fish has been associated with cholera transmission. An alternative mechanism of transmission associated with fish was hypothesised by Schürmann et al. in 2002. He described a cholera case that was more likely to have been infected by contamination on the patient's hands rather than by ingestion of contaminated fish. METHODOLOGY: With fish being the main diet in Liberia, we decided to examine fish samples and preparation techniques in Monrovia. Excreta of 15 fish, caught in the estuarine waters of Monrovia, were analysed for V. cholerae. In addition, fish preparation methods were observed in 30 households. RESULTS: Two fish samples were found positive. Observations revealed that hygiene measures during the gutting process of fish were limited; although hands were usually rinsed, in all cases soap was not used. Furthermore, contaminated water was frequently reused during food preparation. CONCLUSIONS: Since the cooking process of fish (and thus elimination of bacteria) in Monrovia usually consists of both frying and boiling, it seems plausible that in this context, the hypothesis by Schürmann et al. could be applicable. Further research is necessary to confirm this association, which could be a starting point for more context-specific health education campaigns addressing food preparation hygiene as risk factor for cholera.
dc.language en
dc.rights Archived with thanks to Journal of Infection in Developing Countries
dc.title Household fish preparation hygiene and cholera transmission in Monrovia, Liberia.


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