Generality
The fecal-oral route represents a particular mode of transmission of various infectious pathologies.
As you can easily guess from its very name, the transmission of a pathogen by the fecal-oral route occurs when the latter passes from the faeces of a sick subject to the digestive system of a healthy individual, generally through contaminated food, but not only.
The only way to hinder the transmission of a disease through the faecal-oral route is represented by prevention .
Transmitted pathologies
What diseases can be transmitted through the fecal Gold Way?
Through the fecal-oral pathway, bacterial and viral infections can be transmitted substantially, but it is also possible to transmit some parasites and the pathologies they induce.
In detail, among the diseases of a viral nature that can be transmitted via this route, we recall:
- Hepatitis A and hepatitis E;
- Viral gastroenteritis.
Instead, among the pathologies of bacterial origin transmissible via the fecal-oral route, we recall:
- Enteritis caused by salmonella;
- Enterocolitis caused by Escherichia coli and Campylobacter fetus ;
- Shigellosis;
- Typhoid fever;
- Cholera.
Finally, among the parasitoses most commonly transmitted via the fecal-oral route, we find those induced by Entamoeba histolytica .
These pathologies, in turn, can be divided according to the source from which they originate. In this regard, we can distinguish:
- Human source disorders : they are pathologies that are transmitted via the faecal-oral route from one human to another. Among these diseases, we find:
- Hepatitis A and E;
- Escherichia coli diarrhea;
- Epidemic viral gastroenteritis;
- Abdominal typhus;
- Paratyphoid fever;
- Cholera;
- Amebiasis.
- Animal source diseases: in these diseases, the pathogen that infects humans comes from an animal source (animal faeces). Among these pathologies, we find above all salmonellosis.
Characteristics of Pathogens
Although the diseases transmitted via the faecal-oral route are different, it is important to point out that not all pathogens can infect or infest healthy individuals via this route.
In order to verify the transmission through the fecal-oral route, in fact, pathogens must possess certain characteristics. More precisely, they must:
- Being able to colonize the gastrointestinal system of the sick or healthy carrier.
- Being able to survive in the gastrointestinal environment of the host by evading all the defense systems put in place by the body.
- Being excreted through the faeces of the infected individual or animal.
- Once expelled through the faeces, survive outside the host's body until they are ingested by another host.
Of course, for the disease to be transmitted, the pathogen must be ingested by a healthy individual. If this were not the case, we could not talk about transmission by fecal-oral route.
Transmission Mode
How is a pathology transmitted via fecal gold?
As mentioned, transmission via the fecal-oral route occurs when the pathogen responsible for a given disease passes from the faeces of a sick individual (but also of a healthy carrier) to the gastrointestinal tract of a healthy individual.
The transmission of the pathogen by the fecal-oral route can be substantially of two types:
- Direct : this type of transmission takes place, in fact, by direct contact between the sick individual (or healthy carrier) and the healthy subject. Generally, direct transmission has an epidemiological relevance only in particular circumstances, such as in hospital environments and in communities (such as, for example, children).
- Indirect : this type of transmission does not provide for direct contact between the sick individual and a healthy subject, but involves different carriers and vehicles that - coming into contact with the feces containing the pathogen - can then transfer it to healthy individuals.
Indirect Transmission Mode
As stated above, the indirect transmission method involves the involvement of various carriers and vehicles which - by coming into contact with infected faeces (human or animal) - transfer the pathogen to healthy individuals. More precisely, among these vectors and vehicles we find:
- Fingers and hands that come into contact with infected feces or surfaces contaminated by them.
- Food and water contaminated with faeces and which will subsequently be ingested by humans.
- Flies and other insects that come into contact with infected feces and, subsequently, with food or water intended for human consumption.
- Surfaces, objects and furnishings contaminated by the faeces of the infected individual (or animal) that are handled before ingesting the food, or used for eating or drinking.
- Sexual relations .
Please note
Despite the different vehicles and vectors involved in the indirect transmission of pathogens via the fecal-oral route, the ingestion of water and contaminated food appears to be the main cause of transfer of the pathogen from infected faeces to healthy individuals.
Among the foods that present a greater risk of being able to transmit pathogens, we recall:
- Eggs, meat and their derivatives, in particular, when undercooked;
- Fruit and vegetables came into contact with contaminated faeces (human or animal);
- Foods handled by staff with dirty hands and / or who do not respect the hygienic-sanitary rules;
- Food packaged in poor hygienic conditions.
Risk factors
Factors that can favor the transmission of pathologies by fecal-gold route
In the field of diseases transmitted via the fecal gold route, there are some risk factors that can favor this mode of transmission and factors that can even play a decisive role in all this. Among all these we remember:
- Poor or absent hygienic-sanitary conditions;
- Cultivation and preparation of food in environments unsuitable from a hygienic point of view;
- Use of animal feces contaminated by the pathogen as fertilizers for crops whose harvest is intended for human consumption;
- Absence or inadequacy of the sewer system;
- Water supply systems not adequately designed and / or which do not comply with sanitary regulations;
- Incorrect or inadequate personal hygiene habits;
- Performing some sexual practices that involve contact with infected stools.
Most of the risk factors listed above are mostly present in the so-called developing countries, within which, often, hygiene rules are not respected. This explains why the majority of pathologies transmitted through the faecal-oral route seem to affect the individuals living in the poorest countries in the world. Naturally, this does not exclude the possibility that these pathologies are transmitted via the fecal-oral route also in developed and industrialized countries.
Prevention
Prevention is the best weapon against diseases transmissible via the fecal-oral route. In particular, it is possible to intervene with two different types of prevention: prevention carried out at an institutional level and prevention carried out by making adjustments and improvements to one's lifestyle.
Institutional Preventive Measures
In the event that there is a proven presence of pathologies transmitted via the faecal-oral route within a population, where necessary, institutions should be able to intervene to prevent the spread of the disease. For example, institutions can:
- Identify and isolate the vector or vehicle involved in the transmission of the pathogen;
- Intervene on the environment;
- Making improvements and adapting water supply systems;
- Create or improve sewer networks;
- Provide the population with adequate health education;
- Intervene, possibly, with chemoprophylaxis campaigns and / or with vaccination campaigns.
Individual Preventive Measures
Of course, individual prevention also plays a fundamental role in limiting the spread of faecal-oral diseases. In particular, it is very important:
- Always wash your hands after using the toilet.
- Wash hands before handling, cooking and / or eating food of any kind.
- Be careful when consuming food and drink outside the home, in particular, if you are in developing countries where hygiene conditions are not met.
- Wash hands before eating and drinking after contact with animals of any kind (pets such as dogs and cats included).
- Cook the food well before eating it.
- Wash fruits and vegetables accurately before consumption. The fruit should also be peeled.
- Avoid contact between cooked food and raw food.
- Carefully clean the surfaces, instruments, containers, pots and cutlery that inevitably come into contact with food.
Please note
The cleaning of instruments and objects must be carried out with special detergents, just as the hands must be washed with soap in the correct manner. An inadequately performed washing, in fact, is not able to guarantee the removal of the pathogen, therefore it is not able to eliminate the risk of a potential transmission through the fecal-oral route.
