Microbial Content of “Bowl Water” Used for Communal Handwashing in Preschools within Accra Metropolis, Ghana

Table 2

Microbial contamination of different sources of bowl water and hands of children.

Microorganism	Main, (%)	Soapy, (%)	Rinse, (%)	Hand before washing, (%)	Hand after washing, (%)
Parasites
C. parvum	1 (12.5)	2 (7.1)	2 (9.1)	0 (0)	0 (0)
C. cayetanensis	0 (0.0)	2 (7.1)	2 (9.1)	0 (0)	0 (0)
Bacteria
Staphylococcus spp.	2 (25.0)	5 (18.0)	5 (22.7)	12 (85.7)	15 (31.2)
Salmonella spp.	0 (0.0)	4 (14.3)	2 (9.1)	0 (0.0)	9 (18.8)
E. coli	2 (25.0)	3 (10.7)	3 (13.6)	0 (0.0)	8 (16.7)
Citrobacter spp.	1 (12.5)	3 (10.7)	3 (13.6)	0 (0.0)	6 (12.5)
K. pneumonia	1 (12.5)	3 (10.7)	2 (9.1)	0 (0.0)
K. oxytoca	0 (0.0)	2 (7.1)	2 (9.1)	0 (0.0)	4 (8.3)
Klebsiella spp.	1 (12.5)	2 (7.1)	1 (4.6)	0 (0.0)	4 (8.3)
P. mirabilis	0 (0.0)	1 (3.6)	0 (0.0)	0 (0.0)	0 (0.0)
Fungus
A. niger	0 (0.0)	1 (3.6)	0 (0.0)	2 (14.3)	2 (4.2)
Virus
Rotavirus	0 (0.0)	0 (0.0)	0 (0.0)	0 (0.0)	0 (0.0)

represents the total number of samples used. represents number of particular microbes identified.