Diarrhoeal diseases related to sanitation and water supply.

Three Thai communities using river water and three Thai communities utilizing klong water for their domestic consumption were studied to assess the water quality, sanitation and the incidence of diarrhoea in the communities. The incidence of diarrhoeal diseases during a four-month period in the three communities of Bangrasan was 454 per 1000 population and in the three communities of Klongchik was 85 per 1000 population. The relationship between water quality as measured by the MPN coliform index and the incidence of diarrhoeal cases showed that an increase in diarrhoeal cases were accompanied by an increase in MPN value. In general the quality of water seemed to influence the incidence of diarrhoeal cases.