Manual emptying of ventilated improved pit latrines and hygiene challenges - a baseline survey in a peri-urban community in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Abstract

ABSTRACT The presence of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus spp. was determined on the skin, personal protective equipment, the municipal vehicle, and various surfaces at ten households in a peri-urban community (KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa) before and after manual emptying of ventilated improved pit latrines. Surface samples (n = 14) were collected using sterile wet wipes, and target bacteria were detected using standard procedures. Additionally, E. coli was enumerated in soil samples from an area of open defecation (log10 3.7 MPN/g) and areas where geophagia occurred (log10 2.7 – log10 3.3 MPN/g), using a most probable number (MPN) method. The detection frequency for the target bacteria on household surfaces (e.g., the walkway between the pit latrine and the municipal vehicle) and on municipal workers’ hands (which were frequently contaminated before pit emptying), occasionally increased after the pits were emptied, indicating that manual pit emptying might pose a potential health risk to workers and community members.