Batch process solar disinfection is an efficient means of disinfecting drinking water contaminated with Shigella dysenteriae type I

AIMS: The mortality and morbidity rate caused by Shigella dysenteriae type I infection is increasing in the developing world each year. In this paper, the possibility of using batch process solar disinfection (SODIS) as an effective means of disinfecting drinking water contaminated with Sh. dysenteriae type I is investigated. METHODS: Phosphate-buffered saline contaminated with Sh. dysenteriae type I was exposed to simulated solar conditions and the inactivation kinetics of this organism was compared with that of Sh. flexneri, Vibrio cholerae and Salmonella typhimurium. SIGNIFICANCE: Recovery of injured Sh. dysenteriae type I may be improved by plating on medium supplemented with catalase or pyruvate. Sh. dysenteriae type I is very sensitive to batch process SODIS and is easily inactivated even during overcast conditions. Batch process SODIS is an appropriate intervention for use in developing countries during Sh. dysenteriae type I epidemics.