Enteric Bacteria Pathogens From Food Vendors In My School

Description

ABSTRACT

Enteric bacterial pathogens are the major causes of food-borne gastroenteritis in humans and remain important public health problems worldwide. The emergence of antimicrobial resistance is a global concern, particularly in developing countries. Stool samples from 2,200 patients with gastrointestinal tract (GIT) infections and 900 apparently healthy food vendors were collected in my school and examined to determine incidence and distribution of bacterial pathogens using standard microbiological methods. The isolates recovered were identified to belong to seven genera which include Salmonella, Shigella, Escherichia, Proteus, Klebsiella, Vibrio and Enterobacter. Salmonella typhi was the most prevalent, followed by Escherichia coli, while Klebsiella species was the least encountered. Most of the food vendors fell within the age range of 21 years and above constituting 78.4% of the food vendors examined. This study underscores the need to monitor the carriage of enteric pathogens among patients and apparently healthy food vendors. This study further implicates food vendors as a great threat to the health of the public since some of them were carriers of the pathogenic bacteria. Therefore, it is recommended that there should be enlightenment, training for, and vaccination of the vendors accordingly as well as periodic surveillance.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

COVER PAGE

TITLE PAGE

APPROVAL PAGE

DEDICATION

ACKNOWELDGEMENT

ABSTRACT

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1      BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

• PROBLEM STATEMENT
• AIM AND OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
• PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
• HYPOTHESIS
• LIMITATION OF THE STUDY
• SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
• RESEARCH QUESTIONS
• DEFINITION OF TERMS
• METHODOLOGY
• PROJECT ORGANISATION

CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

• REVIEW OF THE STUDY
• FOODBORNE BACTERIA
• FOODBORNE VIRUSES
• FOODBORNE PARASITES

CHAPTER THREE

METHODOLOGY

• STUDY DESIGN, AREA AND POPULATION
• SAMPLE SIZE AND SAMPLING TECHNIQUE
• SPECIMEN COLLECTION, CULTURE AND IDENTIFICATION
• DATA COLLECTION
• ANTIMICROBIAL SUSCEPTIBILITY TESTING
• DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION

CHAPTER FOUR

4.0      RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

CHAPTER FIVE

• CONCLUSION
• RECOMMENDATION
• REFERENCES

CHAPTER ONE

1.0                                                        INTRODUCTION

1.1                                           BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Enteric pathogens have been implicated in most food- and water-borne infections that have been responsible for rising morbidity and mortality globally especially in Africa (Payment and Riley, 2002; Nma and Oruese, 2013; Ogunleye et al., 2013). Though some of the organisms in this group are normal microbiota of gut of man and other higher animals, they get their way into the food through environmental contamination (Karshima et al., 2013; Ogunleye et al., 2013; Kemal, 2014). They are mainly Gram-negative bacteria which cause different gastrointestinal diseases in man while quite a number of other animals serve as either carrier or secondary host. Gastrointestinal tract (GIT) infection in humans usually originates from pets, other humans and through the ingestion of contaminated water or animal food products, most often eggs, poultry, and raw meat (Bhan et al., 2005; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2005; Swanson et al., 2007; Smith et al., 2012; Karshima et al., 2013). Following ingestion of the organisms, the likelihood of infection developing, as well as the severity of infection, is related to the dose and virulence of the organism in question or its strain and the status of host’s defense mechanisms (Payment and Riley, 2002).

In most cases, diagnosis of GIT infection is often missed or delayed, which is a reflection of the multi- system nature of the diseases. Consequent upon development and availability of modern sewage and water treatment facilities, these diseases have become rare in developed countries but remain a serious health challenge in low resource countries with inadequate sanitation and safe water supply. Although enteric fever is a major global public health problem; data on the relative risk of contracting travel-associated enteric fever is not documented in most developed world, while adequate epidemiological data are grossly inadequate in developing countries (Crump et al., 2004). Vending of street food, particularly in urban areas, is a growing and global phenomenon and today street vended foods are important sources of daily meals for massive urban populations as well as in African. However, food poisoning, food borne diseases and food safety have been declared a major public health concern by international health agencies, while in many studies, street vended foods have been associated with microbiological contamination and low hygienic standards (WHO, 2006). Hence, street food vendors play a significant role in public health since this group of individuals alone influences the life and health of thousands of people daily.

Food handlers have been reported to greatly contribute to the dissemination and distribution of pathogens due in most cases to their low level of education, poor personal and environment hygiene (Nkere et al., 2011; CDC, 2013). Moreover, some of the food vendors are carriers of most of the enteric bacterial pathogens and consequently introduce the pathogens into the food they handle (Chukwu et al., 2010; Oranusi and Olorunfemi, 2011). Food from local vendors, though most of the time are prepared under unhygienic conditions and by people with very low knowledge of hygiene, they still enjoy high patronage due essentially to their affordability, easy accessibility and claimed palatability or organoleptic quality (Karshima et al., 2013). This study therefore investigated incidence and distribution of enteric pathogens among patients with GTIs and food vendors in our school.

1.2                                                 PROBLEM STATEMENT

The incidence of food poisoning is a common case in many schools’ hospitals in Nigeria. However, not much has been seen with regards to sustainable strategies to curb it. It seems that, for the general public and for that matter government of Ghana to take an issue serious, there must be wide publicity about it. Consequently this work sought to make available comprehensive information about the extent of food poisoning cases and the microbes involved. After analyzing published literature we report that, foods that one has to be cautious of at public eateries include soup, stew, fufu, macroni, salad and rice sold in the school by food vendors. Also, information reviewed showed that, these foods were mostly contaminated with Salmonella, Shigella, Escherichia, Proteus, Klebsiella, Vibrio and Enterobacter. Salmonella typhi was the most prevalent, followed by Escherichia coli, while Klebsiella species was the least encountered. By this work we advise that, vendors should practice proper food handling techniques and that the national campaign on hand washing should be sustained.

1.3                                     AIM AND OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The main aim of this study is to investigated incidence and distribution of enteric pathogens among patients with gastrointestinal tract (GIT) infection and food vendors in our school. The objectives of the study are:

1. To investigated incidence and distribution of enteric pathogens by food vendors.
2. To carry out a microbial test on food sold by vendors in our school.

• To determine the major causes of gastrointestinal tract (GIT) infection in our school.

1. To determine the level of food contamination from the major food sold by food vendors in my school.

1.4                                                PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

The purpose of the present study was to determine the occurrence of enteric bacterial pathogens and their antimicrobial susceptibility patterns among food vendors in our school.

1.5                                                      HYPOTHESIS

H₀:      Enteric bacterial pathogens are not observed on food sold by vendors in my school.

H₁: Enteric bacterial pathogens are observed on food sold by vendors in my school.

1.6                                           SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study will be useful to students that buy food from food vendors.  The outcome of this research will guide users of the material, consumer and food vendors on how to avoid contacting Enteric Bacterial Pathogens.

1.7                                             LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

As we all know that no human effort to achieve a set of goals goes without difficulties, certain constraints were encountered in the course of carrying out this project and they are as follows:-

Difficulty in information collection: I found it too difficult in laying hands of useful information regarding this work and this course me to visit different libraries and internet for solution.

Financial Constraint:        Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).

Time Constraint:   The researcher will simultaneously engage in this study with other academic work. This consequently will cut down on the time devoted for the research work

1.8                                                  RESEARCH QUESTIONS

At the end of this work, student involved shall be able to give answers to the following questions:

1. Does poor hygiene causes gastrointestinal tract (GIT) infection?
2. That major causes of gastrointestinal tract (GIT) infection in our school?

• What bacteria are found in food vendors?

1.9                                                  DEFINITION OF TERMS

i. ENTERIC:  Enteric is a medical term that means within, by way of, or related to the intestines.

ii. MICROBIOLOGICAL CONTAMINATION:  refers to the non-intended or accidental introduction of microbes such as bacteria, yeast, mould, fungi, virus, prions, protozoa or their toxins and by-products.

iii. FOOD VENDOR means any establishment that sells or otherwise provides prepared food for consumption on or off its premises, and includes, but is not limited to, any shop, sales outlet, restaurant, bar, pub, coffee shop, cafeteria, caterer, convenience store, liquor store.

iv: PATHOGENS: organisms that can cause disease are called Pathogens.

1.10                                           RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

In the course of carrying this study, numerous sources were used which most of them are by visiting libraries, consulting journal and news papers and online research which Google was the major source that was used.

1.11                                    PROJECT ORGANISATION

The work is organized as follows: chapter one discuses the introductory part of the work,   chapter two presents the literature review of the study,  chapter three describes the methods applied, chapter four discusses the results of the work, chapter five summarizes the research outcomes and the recommendations.