Domestic transmission routes of pathogens: the problem of in-house contamination of drinking water during storage in developing countries.

In this intervention study, 67 households in Punjab, Pakistan, were provided with new water storage containers, either a traditional wide-necked pitcher or a narrow-necked water storage pitcher, preventing direct hand contact with the water. Narrow-necked pitchers were to some extent capable of reducing E. coli levels in the stored water by minimising the contamination within the home. However, if the main water supply is of poor quality (i.e. above 100cfu/100ml) then improved means of storage may not lead to better quality of water, so interventions should be aimed at the public domain (not the domestic domain). Tropical Medicine and International Health 2002;7:604-609.