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Assessment of Water Quality among Handwashing and Drinking Water Stations in Schools in Belize, 2022

Anh N. Ly Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, Texas;

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Alexandra Kossik Division of Foodborne, Waterborne, and Environmental Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia;

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Ary Sosa Belize Ministry of Health and Wellness, Belize City, Belize;

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Uriel Sosa Belize Ministry of Health and Wellness, Belize City, Belize;

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Dian Maheia Culture, Science and Technology, Belize Ministry of Education, Belize City, Belize

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Yolanda Gongora Culture, Science and Technology, Belize Ministry of Education, Belize City, Belize

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Russell Manzanero Belize Ministry of Health and Wellness, Belize City, Belize;

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Francis Morey Belize Ministry of Health and Wellness, Belize City, Belize;

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Melissa Diaz-Musa Belize Ministry of Health and Wellness, Belize City, Belize;

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Dennis Nichols Division of Foodborne, Waterborne, and Environmental Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia;

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Adrianna Maliga Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, Texas;

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Kelsey McDavid Division of Foodborne, Waterborne, and Environmental Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia;

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Christina Craig Division of Foodborne, Waterborne, and Environmental Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia;

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Gerhaldine Morazan Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, Texas;

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Matthew Lozier Division of Foodborne, Waterborne, and Environmental Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia;

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Kristy O. Murray Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, Texas;

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DOI:
https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.24-0125
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Ahead of Print
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Water quality assessments are critical for ensuring timely responses to water-related concerns, particularly in low-resource areas with limited water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) infrastructure. In collaboration with the Belize Ministry of Health and Wellness and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Science and Technology, we conducted a survey on WASH infrastructure and resources among 221 schools. We identified 65 schools across all six districts of Belize for water quality testing. Among these 65 schools, 83% had at least one water sample that did not meet the WHO’s recommended free chlorine residual level for drinking water. Additionally, coliforms and Escherichia coli were detected in at least one drinking or handwashing water sample from 43 (66%) and 14 (22%) schools, respectively. These findings underscore the importance of routine water quality testing in schools to inform timely public health responses.

Author Notes

Financial support: This study was generously funded, in part, by CDC U01 GH002235 (K. O. Murray).

Disclosure: The findings and conclusions of this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC). This study was approved by the Baylor College of Medicine Institutional Review Board (Protocol H-49250) and the ethics committee of the Belize MoHW.

Current contact information: Anh N. Ly, Adrianna Maliga, Gerhaldine Morazan, and Kristy O. Murray, Emory University and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, E-mails: kristy.murray@emory.edu, maliga@bcm.edu, gerhaldine.morazan@bcm.edu, and kmurray@bcm.edu. Alexandra Kossik, Dennis Nichols, Kelsey McDavid, Christina Craig, and Matthew Lozier, Division of Foodborne, Waterborne, and Environmental Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, E-mails: spj0@cdc.gov, qmp0@cdc.gov, ngl7@cdc.gov, prl5@cdc.gov, and wfu2@cdc.gov. Ary Sosa, Uriel Sosa, Russell Manzanero, Francis Morey, and Melissa Diaz-Musa, Belize Ministry of Health and Wellness, Belize City, Belize, E-mails: ary.sosa@chr.health.gov.bz, urielsosa@chr.health.gov.bz, rmanzanero@health.gov.bz, fmorey@health.gov.bz, and dhsmohw@health.gov.bz. Dian Maheia and Yolanda Gongora, Belize Ministry of Education, Culture, Science and Technology, Belize City, Belize, E-mails: ceo@moe.gov.bz and chief@moe.gov.bz.

Address correspondence to Kristy O. Murray, Emory University, Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, 2015 Uppergate Dr., Atlanta, GA 30322. E-mail: kristy.murray@emory.edu
Copyright:
© The author(s) 2025
Received:
20 Feb 2024
|
Accepted:
16 Oct 2024
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Published Online:
08 Apr 2025
Cover The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Print ISSN:
0002-9637
Online ISSN:
1476-1645
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