Review Article
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Impact and interventions of waterborne and foodborne illnesses caused by bacterial pathogens in Nigeria: A review

Year 2024, , 316 - 322, 01.10.2024

Chidinma Adanna Okafor

https://doi.org/10.3153/FH24030

Abstract

Waterborne and foodborne illnesses caused by bacterial pathogens are major public health concerns, especially in developing countries like Nigeria—waterborne pathogens such as Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp. and Klebsiella spp. Contribute to the spread of health challenges, primarily due to poor sanitation, contaminated drinking water, and inadequate hygiene. Similarly, foodborne pathogens, including Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella spp., are major causes of human illness, with animal-based foods often acting as transmission vectors. This review examines the current state of diagnosis, highlighting that most household water sources in Nigeria are vulnerable to contamination, with significant microbial loads exceeding WHO standards. It raises the need for effective interventions such as improved hygiene practices, water supply, sanitation and food safety management systems. Furthermore, this review discusses the impact of these pathogens on public health, noting that waterborne and foodborne diseases result in substantial mortality and economic burdens. Also, implementing good hygienic practices, Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) systems, and public health education are essential strategies for reducing the incidence of these diseases. This review concludes by calling for a collaborative effort among governments, policymakers, stakeholders, and researchers to develop and implement multifaceted interventions to combat these pervasive health threats.

Keywords

Waterborne illness Foodborne pathogen Public health Contamination Interventions

References

  • Adeyinka, S. Y., Wasiu, J. and Akintayo, C.O. (2014). Review on Prevalence of Waterborne Diseases in Nigeria. Journal of Advancement in Medical and Life Sciences,1(2).
  • Adamu, I., Andrade, F.C.D., Singleton, C.R. (2022). Availability of drinking water source and the prevalence of diarrhea among Nigerian households. The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 107(4), 893–897. https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.21-0901
  • Bintsis, T. (2017). Foodborne pathogens. AIMS Microbiology, 3(3), 529-563. https://doi.org/10.3934/microbiol.2017.3.529
  • Caisse, G. (2019). Foodborne and waterborne diseases under climate change in low- and middle-income countries: Further efforts needed for reducing environmental health exposure risks. Acta Tropica, 194, 181-188. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actatropica.2019.03.012
  • Cetinkaya, T., Ayseli, M.T., Yilmaz, D. (2024). Chapter 6 - Sustainable water management in food and agriculture industries: preventive practices, sensory aspects, emerging concerns, and nonthermal strategies. In M. H. Dehghani, R. R. Karri, I. Tyagi, & M. Scholz (Eds.), Water, The Environment, and the Sustainable Development Goals (pp. 127–156), Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-443-15354-9.00004-9
  • Danilova, N. (2020). Pathogens, Stress Response and Immunity: Links and trade offs. Bentham Science Publisher. 1, 36. https://doi.org/10.2174/9789811437175120010003
  • Dimitrakopoulou, M.-E., Kotsiri, Z., Vantarakis, A. (2024). Chapter 1 - Food-borne pathogens and sources of contamination. In M. K. Pal, M. U. Ahmed, & K. Campbell (Eds.), Biosensors for Foodborne Pathogens Detection (pp. 1–16). Academic Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-323-95586-7.00001-0
  • Etinosa, I.O., Abeni, B., Isoken, I.H., Ogofure, A.G., Uwhuba, K.E. (2021). Prevalence and Characterization of FoodBorne Vibrio parahaemolyticus from African Salad in Southern Nigeria. Frontiers in Microbiology, 12, 632266. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2021.632266
  • Ghareeb, O.A., Ali, Q.A. (2023). Waterborne Zoonotic Bacterial Pathogens. Texas Journal of Medical Science, 21, 63-69. https://doi.org/10.62480/tjms.2023.vol21.pp63-69
  • Gugsa, G., Ahmed, M. (2020). Review on major food borne zoonotic bacterial pathogens. Journal of Tropical Medicine, 674235. https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/4674235
  • Hayward, C., Ross, K.E., Brown, M.H., Whiley, H. (2020). Water as a source of antimicrobial resistance and healthcare-associated infections. Pathogens, 9(8), 667. https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens9080667
  • Heredia, N., Garcia, S. (2018). Animals as sources of foodborne pathogens: A review, Animal Nutrition, 4(3), 250–255. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aninu.2018.04.006
  • Iwuala, C., Udujih, O., Udujih, H. I (2017). Drinking water quality and occurrence of waterborne diseases in imo state. International Journal of Infectious Diseases, 73, 217. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijid.2018.04.3907
  • Laslo, E., Gyorgy, E. (2019). Evaluation of the microbiological quality of some dairy products. Acta Universitatis Sapientiae, Aliment, 11(1), 27–44. https://doi.org/10.2478/ausal-2018-0002
  • Manetu, W.M., Karanja, A.M. (2021). Waterborne disease risk factors and intervention practices: A review. Open Access Library Journal, 8, 1-11. https://doi.org/10.4236/oalib.1107401
  • Meki, C.D., Ncube, E.J., Voyi, K. (2022). Community-level interventions for mitigating the risk of waterborne diarrheal diseases: A systematic review. Systematic Reviews, 11(73). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13643-022-01947-y
  • National Population Commission - NPC (2019). Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey 2018-Final Report. Abuja, Nigeria: NPC. http://dhsprogram.com/pubs/pdf/FR359/FR359.pdf (accessed 20 February 2023).
  • Nwabor, O.F., Nnamonu, E.I., Martins, P.E., Ani, O.C. (2016). Water and waterborne diseases: A review. International Journal of Tropical Disease and Health, 12(4), 1-14. https://doi.org/10.9734/IJTDH/2016/21895
  • Ocheli, A., Otuya, O.B., Umayah, S.O. (2020). Appraising the risk level of physicochemical and bacteriological twin contaminants of water resources in part of the western Niger Delta region. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 192, 324. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-020-08302-5
  • Odeleye, F.O., Idowu, A.O. (2015). Bacterial pathogens associated with hand-dug wells in Ibadan city, Nigeria. African Journal of Microbiology Research, 9(10), 701-707. https://doi.org/10.5897/AJMR2014.7329
  • Odeyemi, O.A. (2016). Public health implications of microbial food safety and foodborne diseases in developing countries. Food and Nutrition Research, 8(60). https://doi.org/10.3402/fnr.v60.29819
  • Oduori, D.O., Kwoba, E., Thomas, L., Delia, G., Mutua, F. (2022). Assessment of foodborne disease hazards in beverages consumed in Nigeria: A systematic literature review. Foodborne Pathogens and Disease, 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1089/fpd.2021.0043
  • Ohwo, O., Omidiji, A.O. (2021). Pattern of Waterborne Diseases in Yenagoa, Nigeria. Journal of Applied Sciences and Environmental Management, 25(6), 1015-1023. https://doi.org/10.4314/jasem.v25i6.20
  • Okpasuo, O.J., Aguzie, I.O., Joy, A.T., Okafor, F.C. (2020). Risk assessment of waterborne infections in Enugu State, Nigeria: Implications of household water choices, knowledge, and practices. AIMS Public Health, 7(3), 634-649. https://doi.org/10.3934/publichealth
  • Onu, M.A., Ayeleru, O.O., Modekwe, H.U., Oboirien, B., Olubambi, P.A. (2024). Chapter 10 - Water and wastewater safety plan in sub-Saharan Africa. In M. H. Dehghani, R. R. Karri, I. Tyagi, & M. Scholz (Eds.), Water, The Environment, and the Sustainable Development Goals (pp. 223–240), Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-443-15354-9.00019-0
  • Rebaudet, S., Sudre, B., Faucher, B., Piarroux, R. (2013). Environmental determinants of cholera outbreaks in inland Africa: A systematic review of main transmission foci and propagation routes. The Journal of Infectious Diseases, 208(suppl_1), S46–S54. https://doi.org/10.1093/infdis/jit195
  • Shanmugam, K., Megharethnam, K., Jayappriyan, K. R. (2024). Chapter 3 - Water and access to sanitation and hygiene. In M.H. Dehghani, R.R. Karri, I. Tyagi, & M. Scholz (Eds.), Water, The Environment, and the Sustainable Development Goals (pp. 67–84). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-443-15354-9.00018-9
  • United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs - UNDESA (2009). Millennium development goals report. United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, New York.
  • World Health Organization –WHO (2010) UN-water global annual assessment of sanitation and drinking-water (GLAAS) 2010 report. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241599351 (accessed 20 July 2024).
  • World Health Organization (2022). Food safety. Available at https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/food-safety (accessed 20 February 2023).
  • World Health Organization (2023). Drinking water. Available at https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/drinking-water (accessed 20 July 2024).

Year 2024, , 316 - 322, 01.10.2024

Chidinma Adanna Okafor

https://doi.org/10.3153/FH24030

Abstract

References

  • Adeyinka, S. Y., Wasiu, J. and Akintayo, C.O. (2014). Review on Prevalence of Waterborne Diseases in Nigeria. Journal of Advancement in Medical and Life Sciences,1(2).
  • Adamu, I., Andrade, F.C.D., Singleton, C.R. (2022). Availability of drinking water source and the prevalence of diarrhea among Nigerian households. The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 107(4), 893–897. https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.21-0901
  • Bintsis, T. (2017). Foodborne pathogens. AIMS Microbiology, 3(3), 529-563. https://doi.org/10.3934/microbiol.2017.3.529
  • Caisse, G. (2019). Foodborne and waterborne diseases under climate change in low- and middle-income countries: Further efforts needed for reducing environmental health exposure risks. Acta Tropica, 194, 181-188. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actatropica.2019.03.012
  • Cetinkaya, T., Ayseli, M.T., Yilmaz, D. (2024). Chapter 6 - Sustainable water management in food and agriculture industries: preventive practices, sensory aspects, emerging concerns, and nonthermal strategies. In M. H. Dehghani, R. R. Karri, I. Tyagi, & M. Scholz (Eds.), Water, The Environment, and the Sustainable Development Goals (pp. 127–156), Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-443-15354-9.00004-9
  • Danilova, N. (2020). Pathogens, Stress Response and Immunity: Links and trade offs. Bentham Science Publisher. 1, 36. https://doi.org/10.2174/9789811437175120010003
  • Dimitrakopoulou, M.-E., Kotsiri, Z., Vantarakis, A. (2024). Chapter 1 - Food-borne pathogens and sources of contamination. In M. K. Pal, M. U. Ahmed, & K. Campbell (Eds.), Biosensors for Foodborne Pathogens Detection (pp. 1–16). Academic Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-323-95586-7.00001-0
  • Etinosa, I.O., Abeni, B., Isoken, I.H., Ogofure, A.G., Uwhuba, K.E. (2021). Prevalence and Characterization of FoodBorne Vibrio parahaemolyticus from African Salad in Southern Nigeria. Frontiers in Microbiology, 12, 632266. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2021.632266
  • Ghareeb, O.A., Ali, Q.A. (2023). Waterborne Zoonotic Bacterial Pathogens. Texas Journal of Medical Science, 21, 63-69. https://doi.org/10.62480/tjms.2023.vol21.pp63-69
  • Gugsa, G., Ahmed, M. (2020). Review on major food borne zoonotic bacterial pathogens. Journal of Tropical Medicine, 674235. https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/4674235
  • Hayward, C., Ross, K.E., Brown, M.H., Whiley, H. (2020). Water as a source of antimicrobial resistance and healthcare-associated infections. Pathogens, 9(8), 667. https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens9080667
  • Heredia, N., Garcia, S. (2018). Animals as sources of foodborne pathogens: A review, Animal Nutrition, 4(3), 250–255. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aninu.2018.04.006
  • Iwuala, C., Udujih, O., Udujih, H. I (2017). Drinking water quality and occurrence of waterborne diseases in imo state. International Journal of Infectious Diseases, 73, 217. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijid.2018.04.3907
  • Laslo, E., Gyorgy, E. (2019). Evaluation of the microbiological quality of some dairy products. Acta Universitatis Sapientiae, Aliment, 11(1), 27–44. https://doi.org/10.2478/ausal-2018-0002
  • Manetu, W.M., Karanja, A.M. (2021). Waterborne disease risk factors and intervention practices: A review. Open Access Library Journal, 8, 1-11. https://doi.org/10.4236/oalib.1107401
  • Meki, C.D., Ncube, E.J., Voyi, K. (2022). Community-level interventions for mitigating the risk of waterborne diarrheal diseases: A systematic review. Systematic Reviews, 11(73). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13643-022-01947-y
  • National Population Commission - NPC (2019). Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey 2018-Final Report. Abuja, Nigeria: NPC. http://dhsprogram.com/pubs/pdf/FR359/FR359.pdf (accessed 20 February 2023).
  • Nwabor, O.F., Nnamonu, E.I., Martins, P.E., Ani, O.C. (2016). Water and waterborne diseases: A review. International Journal of Tropical Disease and Health, 12(4), 1-14. https://doi.org/10.9734/IJTDH/2016/21895
  • Ocheli, A., Otuya, O.B., Umayah, S.O. (2020). Appraising the risk level of physicochemical and bacteriological twin contaminants of water resources in part of the western Niger Delta region. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 192, 324. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-020-08302-5
  • Odeleye, F.O., Idowu, A.O. (2015). Bacterial pathogens associated with hand-dug wells in Ibadan city, Nigeria. African Journal of Microbiology Research, 9(10), 701-707. https://doi.org/10.5897/AJMR2014.7329
  • Odeyemi, O.A. (2016). Public health implications of microbial food safety and foodborne diseases in developing countries. Food and Nutrition Research, 8(60). https://doi.org/10.3402/fnr.v60.29819
  • Oduori, D.O., Kwoba, E., Thomas, L., Delia, G., Mutua, F. (2022). Assessment of foodborne disease hazards in beverages consumed in Nigeria: A systematic literature review. Foodborne Pathogens and Disease, 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1089/fpd.2021.0043
  • Ohwo, O., Omidiji, A.O. (2021). Pattern of Waterborne Diseases in Yenagoa, Nigeria. Journal of Applied Sciences and Environmental Management, 25(6), 1015-1023. https://doi.org/10.4314/jasem.v25i6.20
  • Okpasuo, O.J., Aguzie, I.O., Joy, A.T., Okafor, F.C. (2020). Risk assessment of waterborne infections in Enugu State, Nigeria: Implications of household water choices, knowledge, and practices. AIMS Public Health, 7(3), 634-649. https://doi.org/10.3934/publichealth
  • Onu, M.A., Ayeleru, O.O., Modekwe, H.U., Oboirien, B., Olubambi, P.A. (2024). Chapter 10 - Water and wastewater safety plan in sub-Saharan Africa. In M. H. Dehghani, R. R. Karri, I. Tyagi, & M. Scholz (Eds.), Water, The Environment, and the Sustainable Development Goals (pp. 223–240), Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-443-15354-9.00019-0
  • Rebaudet, S., Sudre, B., Faucher, B., Piarroux, R. (2013). Environmental determinants of cholera outbreaks in inland Africa: A systematic review of main transmission foci and propagation routes. The Journal of Infectious Diseases, 208(suppl_1), S46–S54. https://doi.org/10.1093/infdis/jit195
  • Shanmugam, K., Megharethnam, K., Jayappriyan, K. R. (2024). Chapter 3 - Water and access to sanitation and hygiene. In M.H. Dehghani, R.R. Karri, I. Tyagi, & M. Scholz (Eds.), Water, The Environment, and the Sustainable Development Goals (pp. 67–84). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-443-15354-9.00018-9
  • United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs - UNDESA (2009). Millennium development goals report. United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, New York.
  • World Health Organization –WHO (2010) UN-water global annual assessment of sanitation and drinking-water (GLAAS) 2010 report. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241599351 (accessed 20 July 2024).
  • World Health Organization (2022). Food safety. Available at https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/food-safety (accessed 20 February 2023).
  • World Health Organization (2023). Drinking water. Available at https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/drinking-water (accessed 20 July 2024).
There are 31 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Subjects Food Biotechnology
Journal Section Review Articles
Authors

Chidinma Adanna Okafor 0000-0003-2700-5306

Early Pub Date September 30, 2024
Publication Date October 1, 2024
Submission Date June 22, 2024
Acceptance Date August 8, 2024
Published in Issue Year 2024

Cite

APA Okafor, C. A. (2024). Impact and interventions of waterborne and foodborne illnesses caused by bacterial pathogens in Nigeria: A review. Food and Health, 10(4), 316-322. https://doi.org/10.3153/FH24030

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