Abstract
Understanding household-level transmission pathways of fecal pathogens can provide insight for developing effective strategies to reduce diarrheal illness in low- and middle-income countries. We applied whole bacterial community analysis to investigate pathways of bacterial transmission in 50 rural Bangladeshi households. SourceTracker was used to quantify the shared microbial community in household reservoirs (stored drinking water, soil, and hands) and estimate the percentage of fecal-associated bacteria from child and mothers’ feces in these reservoirs. Among the reservoirs studied, most bacterial transfer occurred between mothers’ and children’s hands and between mothers’ hands and stored water. The relative percentage of human fecal-associated bacteria in all household reservoirs was low. We also quantified the number of identical amplicon sequence variants within and between individual households to assess bacterial community exchange in the domestic environment. Intra-household sharing of bacteria between mothers’ and children’s hands and between hands and soil was significantly greater than inter-household sharing.
Highlights
Enteric pathogens are transmitted via the fecal-oral route through a variety of pathways in the environment
We explored the overlap of communities in different sample types within and between households to understand which intra-household transmission pathways were most likely to lead to shared amplicon sequence variants (ASVs)
We identified very few ASVs that could be pathogens, we demonstrate the potential for pathogenic bacteria, if present, to be transferred through mother and child hand interactions
Summary
Enteric pathogens are transmitted via the fecal-oral route through a variety of pathways in the environment. Pathogens can move through environmental reservoirs including flies, fomites, hands, soil, food, and water. Providing sufficient quantities of water, adequate drinking water treatment, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) are the main strategies to block pathogen transmission pathways and reduce the occurrence of diarrheal illnesses. Recent field trials have investigated the impact of these interventions on diarrhea in children and found limited reductions (even with high levels of compliance) and no additive benefit of multiple interventions (Clasen et al, 2014; Humphrey et al, 2019; Luby et al, 2018, 2006; Null et al, 2018). Improving our understanding of the role of environmental reservoirs in enteric pathogen transmission is important, especially given the limited effectiveness of WASH interventions in the field.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
