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Abstract

Many existing inventories of private wells in the U.S. lack digital geographic coordinates, and county-level permitting systems often store information in paper copies. We developed a GIS database of private wells from paper permits issued since 1989 in Gaston County, North Carolina (n = 8,721) using a multistage, geocoding approach. We then assessed the positional accuracy of the geocodes from the field-collected GPS location of these wells. In total, 98.9% of permits were successfully geocoded and 12.3% were secured with GPS devices. There were significant differences (p < .05) in positional accuracy for rooftop, parcel, and street geocodes of private wells in the GIS database, but positional accuracy was high for rooftop geocodes. Our approach is portable to other regions interested in the development of a digital inventory with GIS of private wells to aid in monitoring water quality and planning public health interventions.

Abstract

A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2016 to identify the food safety training needs of government sanitation inspectors in the Philippines who carry out the role of food inspectors as a part of their job. The paper survey was answered by 235 sanitation inspectors of different cities selected randomly. Answers showed 67.2% did not attend any formal training on methods of inspection for food safety and 78.7% did not attend any formal training on hazard analysis critical control point (HACCP). Further, 80.4% did not receive any formal training on the Food Safety Act of 2013. Among these participants, 81.1% believed that their current performance could be improved by attending relevant training and 89.8% showed strong need to be trained on HACCP. It was concluded that a training program for sanitation inspectors, including an exam and refresher, needs to be enforced and that resources should be allocated for such a program to include at least the basics of food safety, HACCP, the Food Safety Act of 2013, and methods of risk-based food safety inspection for different food establishments.

Abstract

Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM), also known as environmental mycobacteria due to their ubiquitous nature, are opportunistic human pathogens of public health concern. They are the causative agent of lymphadenitis in children; pulmonary, skin, and soft tissue infections; and have been linked to Crohn’s disease. Human-to-human transmission is rare and as such it is essential to identify potential environmental sources and routes of exposure. This review explores studies written in English investigating the presence of NTM in pasteurized and unpasteurized milk over the last 20 years. Globally, it was demonstrated that NTM have been detected from milk products in Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Chile, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, India, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Switzerland, Tanzania, Turkey, UK, and U.S. We explored the relationships among the specific NTM species identified, pasteurized and unpasteurized milk, and different detection methods. Both experimental studies and detection from commercial milk suggests the NTM can survive the pasteurization process. Further research is required to explore the potential role of milk as a possible route of exposure to NTM and to identify potential management and control strategies.

With the establishment of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and new food safety regulations, a precedent has been set to prevent foodborne illness in India. The objective of the authors’ study was to identify knowledge gaps among food handlers in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, to establish priorities for future intervention. A 44-question survey was administered to 156 food handlers at 36 restaurants in Chennai between April and June of 2011. The overall mean knowledge score was 49% and knowledge gaps related to hand hygiene, proper food cooking and holding temperatures, and cross contamination were identified. Food handlers with a Medical Fitness Certificate scored significantly higher than those without a certificate, after controlling for food safety training and level of education (p < .05). As the FSSAI standards now require a medical certificate for restaurant licensure and registration, consideration should be given to include an educational component to this certification with an explanation of expected food safety behavior.