Temporal variation in drinking water turbidity and diagnosed gastroenteritis in Milwaukee

• Published in: American journal of public health (1971) Vol. 86; no. 2; pp. 237 - 239
• Main Authors: Morris, R.D. (Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee.), Naumova, E.N, Levin, R, Munasinghe, R.L
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC Am Public Health Assoc 01.02.1996; American Public Health Association
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; ADULTE; ADULTOS; AGE; AGUA POTABLE; Bacterial diseases; Bacterial diseases of the digestive system and abdomen; BEBES; Biological and medical sciences; CALIDAD DEL AGUA; Child; Child, Preschool; Cryptosporidium; Digestive system; Drinking water; EAU POTABLE; EDAD; Emergency medical care; ENFANT; ENFANT EN BAS AGE; Epidemics; FABRICAS; GASTROENTERITE; GASTROENTERITIS; Gastroenteritis - etiology; Gastrointestinal Diseases - diagnosis; Gastrointestinal Diseases - epidemiology; Gastrointestinal Diseases - etiology; Gastrointestinal disorders; Generalized linear models; Health surveillance; Hospitals; Human bacterial diseases; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Infections; Infectious diseases; JEUNESSE; JUVENTUD; Linear Models; Medical disorders; Medical schools; Medical sciences; Milwaukee; Nephelometry and Turbidimetry; NINOS; Pathogens; Patient admissions; Public health; PURIFICACION DEL AGUA; PURIFICATION DE L'EAU; QUALITE DE L'EAU; Relationship; RIESGO; RISQUE; SERVICE DE SANTE PUBLIQUE; SERVICIOS DE SALUD; TERAPIA; THERAPEUTIQUE; TURBIDEZ; TURBIDITE; USINE; Water Pollution - analysis; Water Supply; Water treatment; Waterborne diseases; WISCONSIN; Wisconsin - epidemiology; United States; North America; Wisconsin; America; United States > US; Milwaukee County Wisconsin; USA, Wisconsin, Milwaukee; Human; Drinking water; Toxicity; Gastroenteritis; Daily variation; Epidemiology; Food poisoning; Water quality; Turbidity; Digestive diseases; Intestinal disease; Public health; Gastric disease
• ISSN: 0090-0036; 1541-0048
• DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.86.2.237

Daily counts of diagnosed gastroenteritis (gastrointestinal events) in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, from January 1992 through April 1993 were compared with reported daily turbidity from the two drinking water treatment plants serving the county. Turbidity in both plants was associated with an increased number of gastrointestinal events even after exclusion of a major documented outbreak cryptosporidiosis. During the 434-day period prior to the outbreak, an increase in turbidity of 0.5 nephelometric turbidity units at one of the plants was associated with relative risks for gastrointestinal events of 2.35 among children (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.34, 4.12) and 1.17 among adults (95% CI = 0.91, 1.52)