NEW YORK — A recent test conducted by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the West Africa country Ivory Coast showed 41 percent of stored water samples were contaminated with E. coli, despite the fact that all the water originated from a treated municipal water source.

Reuters News Service reported that in the Ivory Coast, where public water supplies are of relatively good quality, drinking water is stored in most households, is often contaminated with E. coli and is often given to young children, according to the CDC study.

The study's findings raise concerns over the quality of drinking water used to prepare infant formula, especially in developing countries where HIV rates are climbing and water quality is often poor, Reuters said.

HIV-positive women are encourage to feed their babies infant formula rather than risk infecting them with HIV through their breast milk, which is a known route of transmission, according to Reuters.

In the study, led by Dr. Eileen F. Dunne of the CDC, 36 of the 81 home water samples tested had E. coli. It was more often detected in water samples that had been stored for more than 12 hours, Reuters reported.

Coliform bacteria, an indicator of the presence of human or animal waste, was detected in 74 percent of stored water samples, most often where waterwas removed by repeatedly dipping a cup into the water container, Reuters said.

The authors of the study warned many people may not be aware that even water originally treated with chlorine runs the risk of becoming contaminated with bacteria because chlorine's bug-killing properties wear off after several hours, Reuters said.

Reuters reported the study indicates that maternal health agencies in developing countries need to evaluate the water used to make infant formula and to make provisions for safe water

Brad Mierau, Ph.D.
Vice President R&D
Innova Pure Water, Inc.
www.innovapurewater.com