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Screening for faecal contamination in primary schools in Crete, Greece
A Kyriacou1, S Drakopoulou, I Georgaki
1Department of Dietetics and Nutritional Science, Harokopio University, Kallithea, Greece. mkyriacou@hua.gr
Insights
Primary school children
Area of Science:
- Environmental microbiology
- Public health
- Pediatric hygiene
Background:
- Hygienic conditions in primary schools are critical for child health.
- Faecal contamination on children's hands and surfaces increases diarrhoeal disease risk.
- Faecal streptococci presence and socio-economic factors were investigated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess faecal contamination levels in primary schools.
- To examine the correlation between contamination and socio-economic factors.
- To identify high-risk areas and demographics for contamination.
Main Methods:
- Collected 1956 hand samples and 1470 surface samples from 20 primary schools.
- Analyzed samples for the presence of faecal streptococci.
- Correlated findings with parental education levels and child demographics.
Main Results:
- Faecal streptococci detected on 52.9% of children's hands and 16.7% of surfaces.
- Children with highly educated parents (>12 years) showed lower hand contamination (48.8%).
- Boys had higher hand contamination than girls; school canteen reception was most contaminated.
Conclusions:
- Significant faecal contamination exists in the studied primary schools.
- Children's hands are highly contaminated, with boys more affected.
- Parental education level is inversely correlated with child hand contamination.
Background:
Hygienic conditions in primary schools are a major concern for both governmental organizations and families. Particularly, the occurrence of faecal indicators on children's hands and various school surfaces has been associated with increased risk of diarrhoeal diseases. The presence of faecal streptococci on environmental surfaces and children's hands and the possible correlation with socio-economic factors were examined.
Methods:
Overall, 1956 samples from hands and 1470 samples from surfaces were collected from 20 primary schools in Heraklion, Crete, Greece.
Results:
Faecal streptococci were found at 52.9% of children's hands and at 16.7% of other surfaces. Children, who had parents with the highest education level (>12 years), had the lowest percentage (48.8%) of faecal contamination on their hands. Furthermore, boys exhibited higher levels of hands contamination compared with girls. Among the environmental surfaces examined, the school canteen reception was the most contaminated area.
Conclusion:
High faecal contamination was detected in primary schools in the examined region. Children's hands were highly infected (52.9%), while boys exhibited higher levels of contamination. The educational level of parents correlated well with the contamination of children's hands.
