The Childhood Health Effects of an Improved Water Supply System on a Remote Panamanian Island
Abstract
The incidence of diarrhea, respiratory disease, and skin infections was prospectively determined after the introduction of a system which distributed unlimited quantities of high quality fresh water to each of the 150 housing units on Tupile, an island devoid of fresh water located off Panama's Caribbean coast and inhabited by 1,500 Cuna Indians. Tupile residents used 7.1 liters of water/person/day compared to the 2.3 usage rate of inhabitants on Achutupo, the control island. Despite ready availability of water in each household, Tupile residents continued to store water in contaminated vessels prior to use. Forty percent of stored water samples tested on Tupile and 45% on Achutupo were contaminated with E. coli organisms. There were 4.7 episodes/child year (E/Y) of acute diarrhea on Tupile compared with the 3.5 rate on Achutupo. The rotavirus infection rate on Tupile was 0.8 E/Y compared with 0.2 E/Y on Achutupo. Infection rates for Norwalk virus, respiratory syncytial virus and Coxsackie B 1-6 viruses were similar on both islands. Respiratory disease rates were high on both islands (2.2 E/Y on Tupile, 2.7 E/Y on Achutupo). Achutupo had much higher rates of impetigo and scabies (0.6 E/Y and 2.5 E/Y, respectively) than Tupile (0.2 E/Y and 1.4 E/Y). Provision of the water distribution system had a beneficial effect on the incidence of water-washed diseases (impetigo and scabies), but at best had no effect on diarrheal disease.
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Most of the piped water interventions on premises included in this analysis reported continuing household water storage.
“and most of the piped water interventions on premises included in this analysis reported continuing household water storage.35, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89”
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- Authors
- Ryder, R. W., Kapikian, A. Z., Sack, R. B., Singh, N., Gomez, B., Reeves, W. C., & Hall, C. B.
- Affiliations
- Instituto Conmemorativo Gorgas de Estudios de la Salud (PA)
- National Institutes of Health (US)
- Johns Hopkins University (US)
- Gorgas Memorial Laboratory, Panama City, Republic of Panama
- University of Rochester Medicine (US)
- ORCID
- Venue
- The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
- Published
- 1985-09-01
- Volume
- 34
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 921-924
- ISSN
- 0002-9637 (ISSN-L)
- 1476-1645
- OpenAlex
- W2405657135
- Cited by
- 26
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 1 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 1 · 2016: 1 · 2014: 1 · 2013: 2 · 2012: 1
- FWCI
- 0.83
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (5 RO/AI 5MOIRR3520)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Child Nutrition and Water Access
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Public Health and Environmental Issues
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Water Science and Technology › Water Resource Management and Quality
- Keywords
- improved water supply, childhood diarrhea, water pollution, Escherichia coli, rotavirus, Norwalk virus, respiratory syncytial virus, Coxsackie B virus, respiratory diseases, impetigo, scabies, skin infections, household water storage
- MeSH terms
- Child, Diarrhea, Humans, Indians, Central American, Panama, Respiratory Tract Diseases, Rotavirus Infections, Scabies, Skin Diseases, Water Microbiology, Water Supply
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