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SEARCHING FOR A WATER SUPPLY CONNECTION IN THE CABOOL, MISSOURI OUTBREAK
Citation:
Geldreich*, E E., K R. Fox*, J A. Goodrich*, E W. Rice*, R M. Clark*, AND D. S. Swerdlow. SEARCHING FOR A WATER SUPPLY CONNECTION IN THE CABOOL, MISSOURI OUTBREAK. WATER RESEARCH. Elsevier BV, AMSTERDAM, Netherlands, 26(8):1127-1137, (1992).
Description:
A recent disease outbreak resulting in 4 deaths, 32 hospitalization and a total of 243 documented cases of diarrhea was linked epidemiologically and by on-site data gathering supported by the use of a distribution system model to the public water supply. The pathogenic agent, Escherichia coli serotype 0157:H7, was isolated from patients' feces in tests conducted by the Centers for Disease Control. Illness was restricted to people using public water supply. Untreated groundwater quality was not a factor but some disturbances in the distribution system, possibly 43 water meter replacements and 2 line breaks, may have allowed contaminants to enter the water supply. This is the first time a distribution system model has been used to show that the pattern of illness occurrences in a waterborne outbreak study could be related to water movement patterns in the distribution network.