Factors Associated with the Occurrence of Aflatoxin Poisoning Outbreaks in Kibwezi Division of Makueni County Kenya.
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Date
2013-10-16
Authors
Kasungi, Jeremiah Mutiso
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Abstract
Outbreaks of acute aflatoxin poisoning have become a recurrent public health problem as
a result of severe aflatoxin exposure in many developing countries including Kenya. The
toxin is produced by fungal action during food production, harvesting, storage and
preparation. The vulnerable foods to contamination include maize and groundnuts which
are staple food for many households. Aflatoxin poisoning outbreaks have continued to
recur in a yearly pattern in Kibwezi Division since 2004 outbreak with loss of human
lives. This resulted from people consuming their own grown maize grains which were
contaminated with Aflatoxins due to their poor storage under damp conditions. However
studies have shown that, this trend can be reversed through proper grain handling
practices during and post harvest that include; proper grain drying, proper grain storage
and simple food preparation practices. Despite these periodic aflatoxin poisoning
outbreaks experienced in Kibwezi Division, there has been little progress in improving
grain storage at household level for control and prevention of the outbreaks. This study
aimed. at establishing the associated factors and the findings be used to guide in
interventions formulation by policy makers for prevention and control of future Aflatoxin
poisoning outbreaks. To achieve this objective, information on community knowledge
about aflatoxin poisoning, grain storage practices during harvesting, grain storage
practices post harvest and food preparation practices was obtained through a cross-
. sectional study design conducted in the month of May 2010. Household heads constituted
the study sample of 350 respondents in four randomly selected sub locations of Kibwezi
Division of Makueni County. The division was purposively selected due to its high
prevalence ·of the outbreaks. Systematic sampling technique was used to select the
households to conduct the interviews by randomly determining a direction by a toss of a
pen at the centre of each sub location. Data collection was through use of interview
schedules, observation checklists and focus group discussion guides. Data was processed
using statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) using both descriptive and inferential
statistics at 95% CI and a P value of <- 0.05 was considered significant. Descriptive
statistics was used to describe both quantitative and categorical data. The study results
revealed that the cause of aflatoxin poisoning was not well known (44%). In overall
knowledge on aflatoxin poisoning was low (20.6%). However correlation analysis
showed an inverse relationship between knowledge and occurrence of aflatoxin
poisoning(r=-0.072, P=0.180). Early harvesting of grains before they are dry and
placement of grain cobs practices during harvesting did not influence aflatoxin poisoning
outbreaks in Kibwezi Division(r = 0.081, P=0.132, i= 3.696, P=0.296 respectively).
Handling of mouldy grains significantly influenced the occurrence of aflatoxin poisoning
outbreaks in this Division (X2= 20.572, P=O.OOO). A correlation analysis showed that
grain drying after threshing before long storage was significantly correlated with the
aflatoxin poisoning outbreaks(r = -0.028, P=O.602). Place of storing bagged grains
significantly influenced aflatoxin poisoning poisoning outbreaks (X2
7' 18.359, P=O.OOO)
where cases were reported more by the households who kept their bagged grains in
granaries. Based on these findings there is urgent need to develop effective and broad
awareness programmes to target the farmers, traders and also consumers in Kibwezi
Division for control and prevention of further occurrence of aflatoxin poisoning. Further
studies should be undertaken in the same Division to explore other possible causes of
Aflatoxin poisoning outbreaks.
Description
Department of Community Health, 65p. The QR 201 .F62K3 2012
Keywords
Foodborne diseases, Food poisoning --Prevention & control --Kenya --Makueni County --Kibwezi Division, Food contamination --Prevention & control --Kenya --Makueni County --Kibwezi Division, Food analysis --Methods