Shigella Blog - Surveillance & analysis on Shigella news & outbreaks

Kelum Pelpola

HEALTHY SWIM: Next time you may have to think twice before you leap into the swimming pool. The reason for this is that a new entity named recreational water illnesses (RWI) has been described.

RWI refers to any illness or infection caused by organisms that contaminate water in pools, lakes, and oceans, resulting in diarrhoea, skin rashes, swimmer's ear and other conditions. And they are on the rise.

The rate has more than doubled in the past 10 years, according to data from the CDC(Centre for Disease Control in the USA).

However, there is definite good news. It's that some simple precautions would help you keep these illnesses at bay. Even though you get the disease, by being alert, quick treatment could be taken and complications could be very easily avoided.

23.jun.06
South Dakota State News Web
Dr. Lon Kightlinger, South Dakota Department of Health

PIERRE, S.D. ñ South Dakota has reported 54 cases of shigellosis so far in 2006, with 24 of those cases coming since June 1. A total of 131 cases were reported for all of 2005.

ìShigellosis is a fairly common bacterial disease affecting the intestinal tract. The single most important preventive measure for shigellosis is careful hand-washing after using the toilet,î said Dr. Lon Kightlinger, State Epidemiologist for the South Dakota Department of Health.

Dr. Kightlinger said the majority of recent cases have been in south central South Dakota in the counties of Todd, Tripp, Bennett, Shannon, Gregory, Charles Mix and Mellette. Most of the cases have been children in day care and their families. The median age of the cases is 5 years old and the range is 1 to 53 years. Half are male and half female and 87% are American Indian, 8% white, and 5% race unknown.

20.jun.06
Emerging Infectious Diseases
Centers for Disease Control

David M. Hartley,*Comments Karl C. Klontz,Üá Patricia Ryan,ß and J. Glenn Morris Jr*

*University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA; ÜThe George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services, Washington, DC, USA; áUS Food and Drug Administration, College Park, Maryland, USA; and ßMaryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Baltimore, Maryland, USA

To the Editor: Floret et al. argue convincingly that natural disasters, including severe floods and windstorms, tend not to result in epidemics of infectious disease (1). This conclusion is consistent with the lack of epidemics of shigellosis and cryptosporidiosis after hurricane rains in Baltimore, Maryland.

Shigellosis and cryptosporidiosis are associated with waterborne and foodborne transmission (2,3). We examined Baltimore shigellosis and cryptosporidiosis incidence to assess whether disease risk was related to temperature or rainfall from January 1, 1998, to December 31, 2004. Maryland FoodNet supplied case data; population estimates were acquired from the Maryland Department of Planning State Data Center; and meteorologic data for Baltimore Washington International airport (≈10 miles from the city center) were obtained from the National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration (4).

By the Gazette-Times

With summer approaching, many people seek recreational activities on local waterways or backyard pools. Benton County Environmental Health officials encourage swimmers to practice healthy behaviors to prevent water illnesses.

Recreational water illnesses are spread by swimming in water contaminated as a result of poorly maintained recreational water venues, the presence of chlorine-resistant germs, or runoff-related contamination of lakes or beaches.

ìTemporary pools that are not properly disinfected and are used by a large number of people are a special concern, especially since the number of Norovirus outbreaks are on the rise in the state,î said Bill Emminger, environmental health deputy administrator.