Child Health About half of all sandboxes have dangerous pathogens

Clostridium difficile is widespread and endangers the health of our children
Parents try to protect their children from every imaginable health risk. But sometimes dangers lurk where we least expect them. Researchers have now found that a dangerous pathogen can be found in about half of all sandboxes.

The researchers of the Complutense University of Madrid found in their study that almost half of all sandboxes contain a harmful pathogen. This can lead to vomiting and diarrhea in children and may even require surgery for treatment. The physicians published the results of their study in the journal "Zoonoses and Public Health".

Many sandboxes can pose a health hazard to our children. Tests have now shown that about half of the sandboxes contain dangerous bacteria. (Image: Daniel Jędzura / fotolia.com)

Strains of Clostridium difficile resistant to various drugs
Some of the strains of Clostridium difficile are called super-exciters. These pathogens are resistant to various drugs. Clostridium difficile causes watery diarrhea, painful abdominal cramps, nausea, dehydration, fever and loss of appetite, the authors explain. Severe infections may even require surgery to remove a damaged section of the intestine.

Some serious infections require removal of sections of the intestine
The current study found about twice the amount of bacterial strains in the sands of public parks compared to the data from a 1996 study. The playgrounds are a reservoir of various parasites and infectious agents, say the scientists. In addition, free access of domestic and wild animals could increase the burden of microbiological contamination. Children are generally considered to be the main risk group for this environmental burden of pathogens, the experts explain. One reason for this is for sure that children are the main users of playgrounds.

What is Clostridium difficile??
Clostridium difficile is a so-called anaerobic bacterium that spreads in the environment and can survive under adverse conditions through the production of spores. This bacterial species has traditionally been regarded as a primary nosocomial pathogen (hospital germ), the researchers explain. In recent years, however, the incidence of Clostridium difficile infections (CDI) has also increased in people outside hospitals. In this context, various species of animals, food products and environmental sources have been suspected as vectors. The presence of Clostridium difficile in sandboxes in playgrounds has been researched to a limited extent so far, say the scientists.

Experts are investigating forty sandboxes in the Madrid area
The researchers examined 20 sandboxes for children or for dogs in different playgrounds in Madrid for their study. Overall, 52.5 percent or 21 out of 40 samples were positive for the presence of C. difficile. Eight of the twenty available isolates belong to the toxigenic ribotypes 014, 106 and CD047, explain the physicians.

Many older studies did not consider pathogens such as Clostridium difficile
The growing number of pets and other animals leaving excrement in the sandboxes of playgrounds and other recreational areas poses a serious epidemiological threat, explains Prof. Blanco. Recent tests to assess the sanitation conditions of sandboxes focus on the detection of selected pathogenic parasites and bacterial indicators of fecal contamination. Most of these tests neglect the potential presence of other emerging pathogens such as Clostridium difficile, the expert adds.

Pathogens are widespread and have resistance to various antibiotics
The current study found that Clostridium difficile is widely distributed in soil samples from pediatric and canine sandboxes in the Madrid region, say the authors. In addition, our results showed that recovered isolates were genetically diverse and resistant to various antibiotics, the researchers explain. These included, for example, resistance to the two drugs imipenem and levofloxacin. (As)