Abstract:
Diarrhoea is a considerable agent of disease and loss of life in children below age five in
South Africa. Soweto, South Africa is an urban township in Johannesburg, with most of its population
living in informal settlements. Informal settlements in areas such as Soweto are often impoverished
communities that do not get water easily, inadequate sanitation is pervasive, and poor hygiene
common (risk factors for diarrhoeal diseases). Among the age groups, infants are most vulnerable to
diarrhoeal infection, mainly through the ingestion of food and water. The presence of undesirable
microbiota is a food safety and health challenge. This study investigated the microbiome of infant
food samples collected from formal (n = 19) and informal (n = 11) households in Soweto. A nonculture-
dependent technique was used to characterise the bacterial diversity and composition of the
infant food samples. The results indicated that household type did not influence microbial diversity
and composition in Soweto. South Africa. Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Cyanobacteria, and Tenericutes
dominated the phyla rank in food samples from formal and informal households. Potential pathogens
of public health significance, including diarrhoeal disease agents such as Salmonella spp., E. coli, and
Campylobacter spp., were detected within the foods. We concluded that the infant food samples
showed rich bacterial diversity, and the presence of potential pathogens of public health significance
suggests a disease risk that infants may face upon consuming the foods.
