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Patterns of fecal coliform contamination in day-care centers.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Holaday, B; Pantell, R; Lewis, C; Gilliss, CL
Published in: Public health nursing (Boston, Mass.)
December 1990

During a six-month period, on four separate occasions, six licensed day-care centers had cultures taken from environmental surfaces as well as the hands of children and teachers. Fecal coliforms were recovered from 64 (9.5%) of the 675 surfaces sampled. Recovery rate was not influenced by a center's socioeconomic status, time of year, or presence of children who were not toilet trained. Recovery rates did differ significantly in different areas, with the kitchen showing a relatively high recovery rate (19%), and toys and toilets showing remarkably low rates (2% and 4%). Centers with formal hand-washing procedures had lower recovery rates than those without such practices. We also demonstrated a high recovery rate from hands of staff (16%); 6% of children had positive cultures. Contamination of hands and classroom objects is a potential source for the transmission of enteric diseases for children in day-care centers. A program directed at reducing contamination would be important in preventing the spread of diarrheal illness.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Public health nursing (Boston, Mass.)

DOI

EISSN

1525-1446

ISSN

0737-1209

Publication Date

December 1990

Volume

7

Issue

4

Start / End Page

224 / 228

Related Subject Headings

  • San Francisco
  • Nursing
  • Infant
  • Humans
  • Environmental Monitoring
  • Environmental Microbiology
  • Enterobacteriaceae
  • Child, Preschool
  • Child Day Care Centers
  • Child
 

Citation

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Holaday, B., Pantell, R., Lewis, C., & Gilliss, C. L. (1990). Patterns of fecal coliform contamination in day-care centers. Public Health Nursing (Boston, Mass.), 7(4), 224–228. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1525-1446.1990.tb00640.x
Holaday, B., R. Pantell, C. Lewis, and C. L. Gilliss. “Patterns of fecal coliform contamination in day-care centers.Public Health Nursing (Boston, Mass.) 7, no. 4 (December 1990): 224–28. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1525-1446.1990.tb00640.x.
Holaday B, Pantell R, Lewis C, Gilliss CL. Patterns of fecal coliform contamination in day-care centers. Public health nursing (Boston, Mass). 1990 Dec;7(4):224–8.
Holaday, B., et al. “Patterns of fecal coliform contamination in day-care centers.Public Health Nursing (Boston, Mass.), vol. 7, no. 4, Dec. 1990, pp. 224–28. Epmc, doi:10.1111/j.1525-1446.1990.tb00640.x.
Holaday B, Pantell R, Lewis C, Gilliss CL. Patterns of fecal coliform contamination in day-care centers. Public health nursing (Boston, Mass). 1990 Dec;7(4):224–228.
Journal cover image

Published In

Public health nursing (Boston, Mass.)

DOI

EISSN

1525-1446

ISSN

0737-1209

Publication Date

December 1990

Volume

7

Issue

4

Start / End Page

224 / 228

Related Subject Headings

  • San Francisco
  • Nursing
  • Infant
  • Humans
  • Environmental Monitoring
  • Environmental Microbiology
  • Enterobacteriaceae
  • Child, Preschool
  • Child Day Care Centers
  • Child