Microbial source tracking of human and animal fecal contamination in Ecuadorian households
Understanding the sources and pathways of detectable household environmental fecal contamination is critical for identifying how exposures occur and for developing targeted interventions to reduce risk of enteric infection. By linking contamination on caregiver hands to that on children's hands and floors, we highlight a likely route for pathogen transfer in the home. The inclusion of multiple host-associated markers across a wide range of sample types reveals patterns that narrower studies may miss, offering new insights into the complex ecology of fecal contamination. These findings can inform sampling strategies, guide risk assessments, and support the design of interventions aimed at reducing child exposure to enteric pathogens in similar high-risk settings.
Authors
- Karen Lévy (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0968-9401)
- Gwenyth O. Lee (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7889-3852)
- Valerie J. Harwood (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5246-2504)
- Kelsey J. Jesser (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4074-3170)
- Javier Gallard-Góngora (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7490-3603)
- Aldo Lobos (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0005-6627-7437)
- Gabriel Trueba (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2617-9021)
- Viviana Albán (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7519-6683)
- Joseph N. S. Eisenberg (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8019-296X)
Institutions
- Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey (US)
- University of Washington (US)
- University of South Florida (US)
- University of Michigan (US)
- Rutgers Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (NL)
- Universidad San Francisco de Quito (EC)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Applied and Environmental Microbiology
- Published
- 2025-12-17
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1128/aem.01694-25
- Primary Topic
- Fecal contamination and water quality
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00