Health Effects of Wastewater Reuse for Agriculture in the Suburbs of Asmara City, Eritrea

The health impact of utilization of raw domestic sewage for vegetable cultivation in the suburbs of Asmara, Eritrea, was assessed. Results showed heavy contamination of vegetables by fecal coliforms and Giardia cysts as well as other pathogenic bacteria such as Shigella and Salmonella. Stool samples from 75 occupationally exposed farmers revealed that 45% of them were harboring Giardia cysts. Dietary intake of raw greens (lettuce, cabbage) grown on the raw sewage appears to cause giardiasis, amebiasis, and diarrhea in the farming community as well as in the surrounding area. Comparison of hospital data from the affected area with data from other areas of Eritrea indicated that agriculture use of untreated wastewater was the major cause of the increase in giardiasis and other gastrointestinal diseases.