Kalule John Bosco, Valeria Nakintu Zalwango, Samuel Majalija
Department of Biotechnical and Diagnostic Sciences (BDS), College of Veterinary Medicine Animal Resources and Biosecurity (CoVAB), Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.
PLOS Glob Public Health. 2025 Apr 17;5(4):e0004214. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0004214. eCollection 2025.
Typhoid is a water and foodborne febrile illness which often mimics malaria in endemic African nations. This study deployed a point-of-use water testing approach to assess the public health risk associated with the consumption of water from spring wells (open or closed wells) and boreholes in off-grid areas in Kampala, and then assessed the correlation between incidence of in-patient typhoid cases at the local health facilities, and monthly rainfall amounts in Kampala.We retrieved 10-year archived data on monthly incidence of severe typhoid in-patient cases and corresponding data on monthly rainfall amounts and evaluated the interrelation between monthly rainfall and the incidence of inpatient department cases using regression and time-series analysis. The Portable Microbiology Laboratory was used to determine the level of disease risk associated with currently used underground water sources in Kampala. There was positive correlation between monthly rainfall amounts and incidence of severe typhoid cases in Kampala with a strong seasonal component with consistent annual peaks. The surface water sources in Kampala pose moderate to severe disease risk to the user communities and should be monitored and tested for microbial quality to ensure public health safety. Typhoid incidence in Kampala is weather-sensitive and predictable. Environmental modifications and vaccination could prevent the strong annual peaks of severe typhoid.
伤寒是一种经水和食物传播的发热性疾病，在非洲流行国家常与疟疾相似。本研究采用现场水检测方法，评估坎帕拉离网地区泉水井（开放式或封闭式水井）和钻孔取水的饮用水相关的公共卫生风险，然后评估当地医疗机构住院伤寒病例发病率与坎帕拉月降雨量之间的相关性。我们检索了10年严重伤寒住院病例月发病率的存档数据以及月降雨量的相应数据，并使用回归分析和时间序列分析评估月降雨量与住院部病例发病率之间的相互关系。便携式微生物实验室用于确定坎帕拉目前使用的地下水源相关的疾病风险水平。坎帕拉月降雨量与严重伤寒病例发病率之间存在正相关，具有强烈的季节性成分且年度峰值一致。坎帕拉的地表水水源对用户社区构成中度至重度疾病风险，应对其微生物质量进行监测和检测，以确保公共卫生安全。坎帕拉的伤寒发病率对天气敏感且可预测。环境改造和疫苗接种可以预防严重伤寒的强烈年度峰值。
