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An outbreak of waterborne cryptosporidiosis caused by post-treatment contamination

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 May 2009

H. V. Smith ,
W. J. Patterson ,
R. Hardie ,
L. A. Greene ,
C. Benton ,
W. Tulloch ,
R. A. Gilmour ,
R. W. A. Girdwood ,
J. C. M. Sharp  and
G. I. Forbes
H. V. Smith
Affiliation:
Scottish Parasite Diagnostic Laboratory, Department of Bacteriology, Stobhill General Hospital, Glasgow G21 3UW, UK
W. J. Patterson
Affiliation:
Community Medicine Department, Ayrshire Central Hospital, Irvine KA12 8SS
R. Hardie
Affiliation:
Area Microbiology Laboratory, Crosshouse Hospital, Kilmarnock KA2 OBE
L. A. Greene
Affiliation:
Strathclyde Water Department, Balmore Road, Glasgow G22 6NU
C. Benton
Affiliation:
Strathclyde Water Department, Balmore Road, Glasgow G22 6NU
W. Tulloch
Affiliation:
Environmental Health Department, Cunninghame District Council, Friars Croft, Irvine, KA12 8EE
R. A. Gilmour
Affiliation:
Scottish Parasite Diagnostic Laboratory, Department of Bacteriology, Stobhill General Hospital, Glasgow G21 3UW, UK
R. W. A. Girdwood
Affiliation:
Scottish Parasite Diagnostic Laboratory, Department of Bacteriology, Stobhill General Hospital, Glasgow G21 3UW, UK
J. C. M. Sharp
Affiliation:
Communicable Diseases (Scotland) Unit, Ruchill Hospital, Glasgow G20 9NB
G. I. Forbes
Affiliation:
Scottish Home and Health Department, St Andrew's House, Edinburgh EH1 3DE
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An outbreak of waterborne cryptosporidiosis affecting 27 persons, diagnosed stool positive, occurred in Ayrshire in April 1988. Twenty-one of the 27 confirmed cases required some form of fluid replacement therapy. Local general practitioners indicated a two- to fivefold increase in diarrhoeal disease during the outbreak, and following enquiries made by Environmental Health Officers it became apparent that many hundreds of people had suffered a diarrhoeal illness at that time. Cryptosporidium spp. oocysts were detected in the treated chlorinated water supply system, in the absence of faecal bacterial indicators. Oocyst contamination of a break-pressure tank containing final water for distribution was the cause of this waterborne outbreak. An irregular seepage of oocyst-containing water, which increased during heavy rains, was the cause of the break-pressure tank contamination, rather than a failure of the water-treatment processes. The waterborne route should be considered when clusters of cryptosporidiosis associated with potable water occur. Waterborne cryptosporidiosis can occur in the absence of other faecal indicators of contamination.

Type
Research Article
Information
Epidemiology & Infection , Volume 103 , Issue 3 , December 1989 , pp. 703 - 715
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1989

References

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