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COHORT STUDIES OF HEALTH EFFECTS AMONG PEOPLE EXPOSED TO ESTUARINE WATERS: NORTH CAROLINA, VIRGINIA, AND MARYLAND. (R827084)
Citation:
Moe, C., E. Turf, D. Oldach, P. Bell, S. Hutton, D. Savitz, D. Koltai, M. Turf, L. Ingsrisawang, R. Hart, J. Ball, M. Stutts, R. McCarter, L. Wilson, D. Haselow, L. Grattan, J. Morris, AND D. Weber. COHORT STUDIES OF HEALTH EFFECTS AMONG PEOPLE EXPOSED TO ESTUARINE WATERS: NORTH CAROLINA, VIRGINIA, AND MARYLAND. (R827084). ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES. American Chemical Society, Washington, DC, 109:781-786, (2001).
Description:
A variety of human symptoms have been associated with exposure to the dinoflagellate
Pfiesteria and have been grouped together into a syndrome termed "possible estuary-associated
syndrome," Prospective cohort studies of health effects associated with exposure to estuarine waters
that may contain Pfiesteria spp. and related organisms are in progress in North Carolina, Virginia, and
Maryland. The three studies recruited cohorts of 118-238 subjects who work or engaged in
recreation in estuary waters. Baseline health and neuropsychological evaluations are conducted, and
study subjects are followed prospectively for 2-5 years with periodic assessments of health and
performance on a battery of neuropsychological tests. Health symptoms and estuary water exposure
are recorded by telephone interviews or diaries every 1-2 weeks. Water quality information,
including measurements of Pfiesteria spp., is collected in the areas where the subjects are working.
Because it is not possible to measure individual exposure to Pfiesteria or a toxin produced by this
organism, these studies examine surrogate exposure measures (e.g., time spent in estuary waters, in a
fish kill area, or in waters where Pfiesteria DNA was detected by molecular amplification).
Preliminary analyses of the first 2 years (1998-2000) of data indicate that none of the three ongoing
cohorts have detected adverse health effects. However, there have not been any reported fish kills
associated with Pfiesteria since the studies began, so it is possible that none of the study subjects
have been exposed to toxin-producing Pfiesteria spp. (24 References)