Fecal-oral transmission

Good personal hygiene and proper disposal of sanitary waste are required to prevent the fecal-oral transmission of the hepatitis A virus. 

Poor sanitation, poor personal hygiene, inadequate water supply, malnutrition, and increased population density are associated with increased risk of Shigella gastroenteritis epidemics, even in developed countries. The majority of cases are thought to result from fecal-oral transmission. 

Prevention of fecal-oral transmission is the most effective control strategy. Severe dysentery is treated with ampicillin, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, or a 4-fluorquinolone such as ciprofloxacin. 

Most cases result from fecal-oral transmission. A few well-documented food- and water-associated outbreaks have been reported. Peak incidence in the United States is in late summer. Estimates indicate that 450,000 cases of shigellosis occur in the United States and that 165 million cases occur in the world annually, resulting in over 1 million deaths worldwide each year. ... 

In the United States, approximately 1.4 million cases of salmonellosis, 16,000 hospitahzations, and 600 deaths occur annually. Salmonellosis is a disease primarily of infants, children, and adolescents. Cliildren younger than 5 years of age account for about 25% of all diagnosed cases. Conditions that may predispose to infection include those which decrease gastric acidity, antibiotic use, malnutrition, and immunodeficiency states. Contaminated food or water has been implicated in the majority of cases. Direct fecal-oral transmission occurs less frequently but is particularly important in children. Foods most often implicated in human salmonellosis are poultry, poultry products, beef, pork, and dairy products. Pets, particularly reptiles, are a common source of infection. 

Indeed, T. solium eggs may also infect humans, who may develop therefore foodbome or waterborne cysticercosis, or, alternatively, they may infect humans directly by human-to-human fecal-oral transmission or by autoinfection (Table 4). 

Human-to-human fecal-oral transmission of T. solium eggs (or autoinfection) leads to cysticercosis... 

Direct fecal - oral transmission Direct contact transmission of disease in which pathogens from fecal matter are spread by unwashed hands to the mouth. 

Indirect fecal-oral transmission Transmission of disease in which pathogens from feces of one organism infect another organism. 

Fecal-oral transmission. Health workers, particularly pediatrics, oral surgeons. 

Hepatitis E is associated with more than 50% of the acute hepatitis cases in endemic areas (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Burma, China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Mexico, the Middle East, Northern Africa, and sub-Saharan Africa). The virus is primarily transmitted by the fecal-oral route. Transmission of HEV is more prominent in underdeveloped countries where sanitation is poor. 

Hepatitis E is similar to hepatitis A in that the mode of transmission is via the fecal-oral route. Therefore, the most effective ways to prevent acquiring the virus are good personal hygiene and proper disposal of sanitary waste. Frequent handwashing and avoiding contaminated foods and vegetables decrease the risk of infection. 

C. difficile is spread by the fecal-oral route, and patient-to-patient transmission has been documented. 

Communicability Direct person-to-person transmission is possible through fecal/oral. When dealing with infected individuals, use standard contact precautions. Wash hands frequently. 

Communicability Direct transmission is possible through fecal/oral and nursing. 

HAV infection primarily occurs through transmission by the fecal-oral route, person-to-person, or by ingestion of contaminated food or water. The incidence of HAV correlates directly with low socioeconomic status, poor sanitary conditions, and overcrowding. Rates of HAV infection have increased among international travelers, injection drug users, and men who have sex with men. 

Enteric viruses only reproduce within the human host and all follow the fecal-oral route of transmission (Girard et al., 2006). The most significant characteristic of enteric viruses is the low infectious dose to cause illness (<20 virons) and the ease by which they can be transferred from person to person (Mattison et al., 2007). Enteric viruses are also very stable with resistances to environmental stresses comparable to those associated with bacterial endospores (Mattison et al., 2007). 

About 15 to SO days of incubation arc required before the disease becomes clinically noticeable. The primary sign is jaundice. The disease lasts several weeks and is followed by complete recovery. Hepatitis A is transmitted when the virus is taken in by mouth. The fecal-oral route and elose conluct. unwashed food, and contaminated water account for most of the routes of transmission. The sexual anal-oral route is also u route of spread. Children under the age of 3 frequently have no symptoms but can transmit the diseo.se to adults in child care centers. An injection of hepatitis A immune globulin is one way of preventing the di.seu.se but is only effective for about 30 days. 

HP is transmitted person-to-person by three different pathways fecal-oral, oral-oral, and iatrogenic. Transmission of the organism is thought to occur by the fecal-oral route, either directly from an infected person, or indirectly from fecal-contaminated water or food. Members of the same household are likely to become infected when someone in the same household is infected. Risk factors include crowded hving conditions, a large number of children, unclean water, and consumption of raw vegetables. Transmission by the oral-oral route has been postulated because HP has been isolated from the oral cavity. Transmission of HP can occur iatrogenically when infected instruments such as endoscopes are used. ... 

As with most viruses, the epidemiology of the NorwaUc-like organism is not well understood. The disease commonly affects children and adults, but it is not often associated with disease in neonates and preschool children. Outbreaks occur throughout the year and have been documented in families, health care systems, cruise ships, and college dormitories. NorwaUc-like viruses are often spread from person to person. Other vectors of transmission include contaminated water supplies, fecal-oral spread, and food-borne outbreaks. Almost any food that has come in contact with contaminated water can serve as a vehicle for an outbreak. A major source of food-borne gastroenteritis is contamination of shellfish beds from raw sewage dumped into the water supply. 

Adenovirus is an icosahedral virus previously associated with respiratory, ocular, and genitourinary infections however, serotypes 40 and 41 have been identified as GI pathogens. The peak incidence is in children younger than 2 years of age, and infections occur year-round. Transmission is primarily person to person and fecal-oral, and viral shedding from the gut may occur for extended periods. The incubation time is 8 to 10 days. Diarrhea and vomiting often last 1 to 2 weeks. Low-grade fever and respiratory symptoms are also common. The diagnosis can be made by enzyme immunoassay that identifies serotypes. 

Transmission of Salmonella typhi may also occur in day care centers and schools by direct contact with the fecal-oral route. Particularly attention should be taken by nursing and medical personnel in infectious units who care for patients with Salmonellosis and typhoid fever. 

E. coli 0157 H7 Type Bacteria There is generally no fever associated with the infection. The infective dose is extremely low. Fecal Humans Direct Person-to-Person Transmission is possible (fecal/oral). 

Agent Index A340 Class Index C26 Typhoid Feve Salmonella typhi Type Bacteria Insidious onset of sustained fever, severe headache, malaise, loss of appetite, and usually constipation (although it may cause diarrhea). Individuals may become asymptomatic carriers capable of spreading the disease (e.g. Typhoid Mary). Routes Ingestion Secondary Hazards Fecal Vector (mechanical) Incubation 3 to 90 days Mortality Rate < 10% Reservoir Humans Direct Person-to-Person Transmission is possible (fecal/oral). 

Transmission Fecal-oral Parenteral, sexual Parenteral, sexual Parenteral, sexual Fecal-oral... 

It is clear from the above discussion that transmission by either direct or indirect fecal-oral exposure is an important means of dissemination of... 

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