scholarly journals Use of microbial risk assessment to inform the national estimate of acute gastrointestinal illness attributable to microbes in drinking water

2006 ◽  
Vol 4 (S2) ◽  
pp. 165-186 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey A. Soller
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Drinking Water ◽  
Distribution Systems ◽  
The United States ◽  
Water Systems ◽  
Gastrointestinal Illness ◽  
Microbial Risk Assessment ◽  
Microbial Risk ◽  
Acute Gastrointestinal Illness ◽  
Treated Drinking Water

Microbial risk assessment (MRA) evaluates the likelihood of adverse human health effects that occur following exposure to pathogenic microorganisms. This paper focuses on the potential use of MRA to provide insight to the national estimate of acute gastrointestinal illness (AGI) in the United States among persons served by public water systems. This article defines MRA, describes how MRA is implemented, provides an overview of the field of MRA and discusses how MRA may be useful for characterizing the national estimate. Communities served by drinking water systems with relatively contaminated source waters, sub-standard treatment facilities, and/or contamination problems in their distribution systems are subject to higher risks than communities where such issues are less of a concern. Further, the risk of illness attributable to pathogens in drinking water in each community can be thought of as the sum of the risk from the treated drinking water and the risk from the distribution system. Pathogen-specific MRAs could be developed to characterize the risk associated with each of these components; however, these assessments are likely to under-estimate the total risk from all pathogens attributable to drinking water. Potential methods for developing such MRAs are discussed along with their associated limitations.

Critical review of mathematical approaches for quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) of Legionella in engineered water systems: research gaps and a new framework

2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 599-613 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. A. Hamilton ◽  
C. N. Haas
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
The United States ◽  
Water Systems ◽  
Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment ◽  
Research Gaps ◽  
Microbial Risk Assessment ◽  
Microbial Risk ◽  
Systems Research ◽  
New Framework

Legionellahas been identified as the responsible agent for two-thirds of waterborne disease outbreaks in the United States from 2011–2012.

The Application of Risk Assessment Techniques to Microbial Monitoring Data: A South African Perspective

1993 ◽  
Vol 27 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 145-150 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Rodda ◽  
A. Amory ◽  
R. Kfir
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Drinking Water ◽  
Viral Pathogen ◽  
Microbial Risk Assessment ◽  
Microbial Risk ◽  
Risk Levels ◽  
Daily Risk ◽  
Assessment Techniques ◽  
Water Volumes ◽  
Treated Drinking Water

The feasibility of applying microbial risk assessment techniques in South Africa was evaluated by assessing risks associated with enteric viruses in raw and treated drinking water. Maximum daily risks associated with treated drinking water were in the range 2×10−2 − 7×10−1. If levels of viruses in treated drinking water were approximated from those in raw water by assuming reductions during treatmentof 4 log, Slog and 6 log, maximum daily risk estimates were 4×10−2 - 4×10−1, 5×10−3 - 1×10−1 and 5×10−4 - 1×10−2, respectively. A number of complicating factors were identified. Detection limits were high and volumes of water monitored were low. There was no information on viral pathogen removal during treatment. Application of risk assessment techniques within these limitations clearly showed the volume of water monitored to be the most important factor limiting detection of low risk levels. The sampling and concentration of large water volumes (at least 100ℓ) for microbial analysis was identified as an urgent need.

Quantitative microbial risk assessment of a drinking water – wastewater cross-connection simulation

2008 ◽  
Vol 7 (5) ◽  
pp. 525-530 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristina D. Mena ◽  
Linda C. Mota ◽  
Mark C. Meckes ◽  
Christopher F. Green ◽  
William W. Hurd ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Drinking Water ◽  
Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment ◽  
Microbial Risk Assessment ◽  
Microbial Risk ◽  
Cross Connection

Acute gastrointestinal illness following a prolonged community-wide water emergency

2015 ◽  
Vol 143 (13) ◽  
pp. 2766-2776 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. W. GARGANO ◽  
A. L. FREELAND ◽  
M. A. MORRISON ◽  
K. STEVENS ◽  
L. ZAJAC ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Water Pressure ◽  
Respiratory Illness ◽  
The United States ◽  
Gastrointestinal Illness ◽  
Extreme Weather Events ◽  
Additional Stress ◽  
Water Infrastructure ◽  
Water Service ◽  
Acute Gastrointestinal Illness

SUMMARYThe drinking water infrastructure in the United States is ageing; extreme weather events place additional stress on water systems that can lead to interruptions in the delivery of safe drinking water. We investigated the association between household exposures to water service problems and acute gastrointestinal illness (AGI) and acute respiratory illness (ARI) in Alabama communities that experienced a freeze-related community-wide water emergency. Following the water emergency, investigators conducted a household survey. Logistic regression models were used to estimate adjusted prevalence ratios (aPR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for self-reported AGI and ARI by water exposures. AGI was higher in households that lost water service for ⩾7 days (aPR 2·4, 95% CI 1·1–5·2) and experienced low water pressure for ⩾7 days (aPR 3·6, 95% CI 1·4–9·0) compared to households that experienced normal service and pressure; prevalence of AGI increased with increasing duration of water service interruptions. Investments in the ageing drinking water infrastructure are needed to prevent future low-pressure events and to maintain uninterrupted access to the fundamental public health protection provided by safe water supplies. Households and communities need to increase their awareness of and preparedness for water emergencies to mitigate adverse health impacts.

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