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DISEASES CAUSED BY WATER CONTACT
Citation:
Dufour, A. DISEASES CAUSED BY WATER CONTACT. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/D-85/024 (NTIS PB85164929).
Description:
Diseases associated with water contact are reviewed with respect to the sources of etiological agents, the types of diseases and the conditions under which they occur. The sources of disease agents fall into three general groups; point sources such as sewage treatment plants; dispersed sources related to animal wastes; and the water environment itself. Diseases associated with bacteria indigenous to the water environment were notable because exposed individuals who became ill were invariably compromised in some way. Risk of disease due to point sources of pollution can be minimized through sewage treatment and disinfection, whereas risk of disease due to animal contamination or bacteria native to water environments can be minimized only by avoiding exposure situations and by public health education measures.