INIQUI   05448
INSTITUTO DE INVESTIGACIONES PARA LA INDUSTRIA QUIMICA
Unidad Ejecutora - UE
artículos
Título:
Water quality issues and diarrhea in a South American province
Autor/es:
RAJAL, VERONICA; CRUZ, MERCEDES CECILIA; LAST, JEROLD
Revista:
Global Public Health
Editorial:
Routledge
Referencias:
Año: 2009 p. 1 - 15
ISSN:
1744-1706
Resumen:
In the province of Salta, in the Northwest region of Argentina, almost two-thirds of the
population live in absolute poverty, and diseases associated with poverty are rampant.
Almost 12% of the total population of the province are children below five years of age;
almost half of these infants are living in situations where the basic necessities are not
available. Primitive sanitary conditions, including widespread contamination of available
water supplies with pathogens, contribute to a major public health problem. Infant
mortality was 17% higher for Salta than for Argentina as a whole in 2001. A major cause
of death for these children is infectious disease, especially respiratory and intestinal
diseases. In Salta, more than half of the total population of infants is affected by
diarrhoea annually. The infectious pathogens are diverse: bacteria (predominantly in
spring and summer), viruses (especially in the winter) and parasites (endemic in some
situations). This paper evaluates current methods used to test for the presence of
pathogens in drinking water; discusses why these methods are less than adequate;
documents an episode of contamination in a local water supply source; and suggests
appropriate methods that can be used to better address this major public health issue
effectively