TY - JOUR

T1 - Drinking cholera

T2 - salinity levels and palatability of drinking water in coastal Bangladesh

AU - Grant, Stephen Lawrence

AU - Tamason, Charlotte Crim

AU - Hoque, Bilqis Amin

AU - Jensen, Peter Kjær Mackie

PY - 2015/4

Y1 - 2015/4

N2 - Objectives: To measure the salinity levels of common water sources in coastal Bangladesh andexplore perceptions of water palatability among the local population to investigate the plausibility oflinking cholera outbreaks in Bangladesh with ingestion of saline-rich cholera-infected river water.Methods: Hundred participants took part in a taste-testing experiment of water with varying levelsof salinity. Salinity measurements were taken of both drinking and non-drinking water sources.Informal group discussions were conducted to gain an in-depth understanding of water sources andwater uses.Results: Salinity levels of non-drinking water sources suggest that the conditions for Vibrio choleraesurvival exist 7–8 days within the local aquatic environment. However, 96% of participants in thetaste-testing experiment reported that they would never drink water with salinity levels that would beconducive to V. cholerae survival. Furthermore, salinity levels of participant’s drinking water sourceswere all well below the levels required for optimal survival of V. cholerae. Respondents explainedthat they preferred less salty and more aesthetically pleasing drinking water.Conclusion: Theoretically, V. cholerae can survive in the river systems in Bangladesh; however,water sources which have been contaminated with river water are avoided as potential drinkingwater sources. Furthermore, there are no physical connecting points between the river system anddrinking water sources among the study population, indicating that the primary driver for choleracases in Bangladesh is likely not through the contamination of saline-rich river water into drinkingwater sources.

AB - Objectives: To measure the salinity levels of common water sources in coastal Bangladesh andexplore perceptions of water palatability among the local population to investigate the plausibility oflinking cholera outbreaks in Bangladesh with ingestion of saline-rich cholera-infected river water.Methods: Hundred participants took part in a taste-testing experiment of water with varying levelsof salinity. Salinity measurements were taken of both drinking and non-drinking water sources.Informal group discussions were conducted to gain an in-depth understanding of water sources andwater uses.Results: Salinity levels of non-drinking water sources suggest that the conditions for Vibrio choleraesurvival exist 7–8 days within the local aquatic environment. However, 96% of participants in thetaste-testing experiment reported that they would never drink water with salinity levels that would beconducive to V. cholerae survival. Furthermore, salinity levels of participant’s drinking water sourceswere all well below the levels required for optimal survival of V. cholerae. Respondents explainedthat they preferred less salty and more aesthetically pleasing drinking water.Conclusion: Theoretically, V. cholerae can survive in the river systems in Bangladesh; however,water sources which have been contaminated with river water are avoided as potential drinkingwater sources. Furthermore, there are no physical connecting points between the river system anddrinking water sources among the study population, indicating that the primary driver for choleracases in Bangladesh is likely not through the contamination of saline-rich river water into drinkingwater sources.

KW - cholera

KW - salinity

KW - water sources

KW - potable water

KW - Bangladesh

U2 - 10.1111/tmi.12455

DO - 10.1111/tmi.12455

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 25581714

VL - 20

SP - 455

EP - 461

JO - Tropical Medicine & International Health

JF - Tropical Medicine & International Health

SN - 1360-2276

IS - 4

ER -