Diarrhoea prevention in Bolivia through point-of-use water treatment and safe storage: a promising new strategy

A novel water quality intervention that consists of point-of-use water disi nfection, safe storage and community education was field tested in Bolivia. A total of 127 households in two periurban communities were randomized int o intervention and control groups, surveyed and the intervention was distri buted. Monthly water quality testing and weekly diarrhoea surveillance were conducted. Over a 5-month period, intervention households had 44 % fewer d iarrhoea episodes than control households (P = 0.002), Infants < 1 year old (P = 0.05) and children 5-14 years old (P = 0.01) in intervention househol ds had significantly less diarrhoea than control children. Campylobacter wa s less commonly isolated from intervention than control patients (P = 0.02) . Stored water in intervention households was less contaminated with Escher ichia coli than stored water in control households (P < 0.0001). Interventi on households exhibited less E. coil contamination of stored water and less diarrhoea than control households. This promising new strategy may have br oad applicability for waterborne disease prevention.