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EMERGING WATERBORNE PATHOGENS
Citation:
Lindquist, H.D A. EMERGING WATERBORNE PATHOGENS. Presented at 52nd Annual KU Environmental Engineering Conference, Kansas City, KS, February 5-6, 2002.
Impact/Purpose:
1) Refine new, practical methods for the detection of CCL-related and emerging waterborne human protozoa.
2) Perform field tests of devices or methods that have been developed under this task.
3) Evaluate these methods or devices in a variety of water matrices and parasite concentrations.
This work in this task supports CCL2 and 3 and is expected to be completed by 9/07.
Description:
Water treatment and wastewater disposal practices have reduced the death rate from waterborne illness. However, the number of individuals made ill, and the number of outbreaks of waterborne disease still fluctuates greatly. This is partly due to newly recognized disease agents, that challenge water treatment systems in new ways. These disease agents are collectively called emerging diseases. Potentially emerging disease agents fit into all categories, viruses (calicivirus, astrovirus, and rotavirus), bacteria (Aeromonas spp., non-tuberculous Mycobacterium spp., and Helicobacter pylori), and protozoa (microsporidia, Cyclospora cayetanensis, and Toxoplasma gondii). It is not possible to predict which disease agent will cause the next large outbreak. However, a survey of these agents and the challenges they pose to water treatment, demonstrates that a well planned multi-barrier approach is the best route to protect public health in the face of these and other emerging diseases.