Publications by authors named "Bonphace Okoth"
Article Synopsis
- Public spaces in developing areas, like low-income neighborhoods in Nairobi, Kenya, can be heavily contaminated with pathogens from human and animal feces, posing health risks.
- A study found high detection rates of enteric pathogens in soil samples, with low-income areas showing significantly more diversity and prevalence of these pathogens compared to middle-income areas.
- Results indicate that improved neighborhood conditions can lower pathogen rates, but enteric pathogens remain a public health concern, highlighting the need for further research into sanitation improvements and their impacts on contamination sources.
Article Synopsis
- - We conducted a study on infant food samples from 714 households in Kisumu, Kenya, assessing food hygiene by measuring contamination levels, finding a 50% prevalence of bacteria in the foods tested.
- - In a smaller group of 212 households, we observed that bacteria concentration increased from the morning to afternoon feeding times, and while no significant risk factors were linked to overall contamination, the type of household flooring influenced this increase.
- - Our findings indicate that although the contamination level is low, the rise in bacteria concentrations during storage poses a potential risk for exposure to foodborne pathogens, highlighting the need for further research on infant food safety.
Article Synopsis
- Despite improvements in health systems and sanitation, enteric infections and diarrhoea remain prevalent in children from low-income and middle-income countries, indicating a need for additional societal development strategies to combat these diseases.
- This study focuses on understanding how household and neighborhood factors influence the transmission of various pathogens in children under 12 months old in Nairobi and Kisumu, Kenya, through a cohort study involving repeat testing of fecal samples for enteric pathogens.
- Ethical approvals have been secured for this research, which aims to develop models for effective interventions to reduce multi-pathogen transmission between humans, animals, and the environment in urban settings.