Water Sanitation Health

Enterobacter sakazakii

Rolling revision of the WHO Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality

Enterobacter sakazakii is included in the plan of work of the rolling revision of the WHO Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality.

Background

WHO hosted a Joint FAO/WHO Workshop on Enterobacter sakazakii and Other Microorganisms in Powdered Infant Formula in February 2004. Enterobacter sakazakii can gain access to infant formula through the raw material used for the formula, through contamination of the formula at the production process or through contamination of the formula as it is being reconstituted. Although water has been investigated as a potential source, current evidence indicates that this is unlikely. The group at risk (meningitis with high death rates) is especially infants less than 2 months old, particularly low-birth-weight, premature and immunocompromised infants.

Expected end-product(s)

Fact sheet on Enterobacter sakazakii, for publication in the second addendum to the Third Edition

Progress to date

The Microbial Aspects WG (Geneva, 2004) agreed on the need to prepare a fact sheet on Enterobacter sakazakii. A final draft has been prepared. The GDWQ WG meeting (Geneva, 2006) agreed to send the fact sheet for public review, following which the document will be revised to take into account review comments and then will be adopted for inclusion in the second addendum.

Related links

The draft document is now available for review. Comments are welcome following the format of the comment sheet, below.

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