Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Virginia, PO Box 400742, 351 McCormick Road, Thornton Hall, Rm. B228, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA.
Department of Civil Engineering, University of Rhode Island, Bliss Hall 213, Kingston, RI 02881, USA.
J Water Health. 2014 Jun;12(2):288-300. doi: 10.2166/wh.2013.185.
Waterborne pathogens present a significant threat to people living with the human immunodeficiency virus (PLWH). This study presents a randomized, controlled trial that evaluates whether a household-level ceramic water filter (CWF) intervention can improve drinking water quality and decrease days of diarrhea in PLWH in rural South Africa. Seventy-four participants were randomized in an intervention group with CWFs and a control group without filters. Participants in the CWF arm received CWFs impregnated with silver nanoparticles and associated safe-storage containers. Water and stool samples were collected at baseline and 12 months. Diarrhea incidence was self-reported weekly for 12 months. The average diarrhea rate in the control group was 0.064 days/week compared to 0.015 days/week in the intervention group (p < 0.001, Mann-Whitney). Median reduction of total coliform bacteria was 100% at enrollment and final collection. CWFs are an acceptable technology that can significantly improve the quality of household water and decrease days of diarrhea for PLWH in rural South Africa.
水中病原体对携带人类免疫缺陷病毒（PLWH）的人构成重大威胁。本研究开展了一项随机对照试验，旨在评估家庭层面的陶瓷水过滤器（CWF）干预能否改善南非农村地区 PLWH 的饮用水质量并减少腹泻天数。74 名参与者被随机分为 CWF 干预组和无过滤器对照组。CWF 组的参与者获得了浸渍有银纳米颗粒的 CWF 和相关的安全储存容器。在基线和 12 个月时采集水和粪便样本。12 个月内每周自我报告腹泻发病情况。对照组的平均腹泻率为 0.064 天/周，而干预组为 0.015 天/周（p<0.001，Mann-Whitney）。总大肠菌群的中位数在入组时和最终采集时均减少了 100%。CWF 是一种可接受的技术，可显著改善南非农村地区 PLWH 的家庭用水质量并减少腹泻天数。
