Waterborne Pathogens

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Waterborne Pathogens
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Recreational Water

• FL beach water naturally contains viruses and
  bacteria
• Usually, they are only harmful if youre already
  sick.

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Common Pathogens

• Noroviruses are present in beach water and cause
  illness on cruise ships
• Vibrio vulnificus is common in the Gulf in summer
  months and will infect open wounds and
  contaminate raw oysters

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Water Contamination

• Contamination may result from
• Sewage spills
• Farm runoff
• Pipe leaks
• Construction
• Septic tank failure

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Contaminants
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How to Detect
When contamination is expected, state and local
agencies take water samples. Some beaches are
routinely tested.
High numbers of certain bacteria indicate the
potential presence of human pathogens. The water
is considered contaminated.
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Common Indicator Bacteria

• Fecal coliforms (E. coli) from fecal
  contamination
• From farm runoff, fecal contamination
• Enterococci
• Indicator of sewage contamination

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How will we know?
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Vibrio Cholera
Textbook of Bacteriology - Cholera
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It is -

• Common found in both marine and freshwater
  waterways (brackish rivers, coastal waters,
  stagnant water, etc.)
• prevalent in 3rd world countries, where adequate
  water filtration/purification technology and
  proper sewage systems are unavailable

More Detailed Bacteriology of Vibrio Cholera
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It is -

• Deadly 60 mortality rate untreated
• Nasty symptoms include
• 1) massive diarrhea mushy, watery stools
• 2) systemic dehydration pruned from the
  inside out
• 3) shock full-out bodily shutdown

BBC NEWS Report on preventing "Liquid Killers"
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Clinical Manifestations of Vibrio Cholera
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Past Epidemics The Top 3

• 1) India, 1817 big festival in Bengal and
  Calcutta, India
• Estimated fatalities - gt200,000
• Lasted 10 years
• 2) Western Europe, 1829 widespread in England,
  France, Russia, USA, Canada
• - Estimated fatalities 800,000
• - Lasted 22 years
• 3) Russia, 1852 mostly contained
• - Estimated fatalities - gt 1,000,000
• - Lasted 8 years

Past Cholera Epidemics
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Past Epidemics, Continued

• 4) Western Europe/Africa, 1863 - 1875
• 5) North America, 1866 1911
• - possibly linked to 4)
• 6) Western Europe/Russia, 1899 1923
• 7) Asia/Africa, 1961 1970
• 8) South America, 1991 - 1994

Past Cholera Epidemics
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Cholera matters to us because -

• Florida is surrounded by water
• Tourism and Migration to Florida
• Vibrio Cholera is becoming more resistant to
  treat
• You dont want to die

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Prevent it!

• Research where you are traveling to, before you
  get there
• Use common sense the bacterium travels
  through uncooked and contaminated food and
  water
• Wise advice from Centers for Disease Control and
  Prevention and World Health Organization
• "Boil it, cook it, peel it, or forget it"

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Useful Links

• Vibrio Cholerae and Asiatic Cholerae
• Cholera, Vibrio cholerae O1 and O139, and Other
  Pathogenic Vibrios
• BBC NEWS Health Soap the key to combat
  'liquid killers
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• WHO World Health Organization