Gastroenteritis Outbreak: Disease linked to swimming pool and spa use

A report of an outbreak of gastroenteritis led the North Dakota State Department of Health to investigate a suspected foodborne disease outbreak. Initial interviews revealed no common meal, but all ill persons had stayed in one motel in Williston, N.D. Questionnaires were hand-delivered and/or maile...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of environmental health 1989, Vol.51 (5), p.286-288
Main Authors: Holmes, Scott E., Pearson, James L., Kinde, Mark R., Hennes, Robert F.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Causes of
Chlorine
Disease outbreaks
Diseases
Epidemiology
FEATURES
Gastroenteritis
Government services
Health aspects
Health surveys
Methods
Motels
Questionnaires
Swimming
Swimming pools
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Summary:A report of an outbreak of gastroenteritis led the North Dakota State Department of Health to investigate a suspected foodborne disease outbreak. Initial interviews revealed no common meal, but all ill persons had stayed in one motel in Williston, N.D. Questionnaires were hand-delivered and/or mailed to 276 persons. Two hundred and twenty-one (80%) of the returned questionnaires were analyzable. The 48 persons who became ill had the following signs and symptoms: nausea, 94%; vomiting, 85%; abdominal cramps, 75%; diarrhea, 71%; fever, 25%. Swimming in the motel's pool/spa was statistically significantly associated with illness, with an odds ratio of 16.5, 95% confidence intervals of 3.1, 88.5 and a p-value < .001. Motel records showed several periods of free chlorine residuals of 0.0 mg/L for both the swimming pool and spa. Laboratory analysis of pool and spa water revealed Standard Plate Counts of greater than 6000 per ml. The spa also had total coliform contamination of greater than 15 per 100 ml The cause of this outbreak was probably lack of adequate chlorination
ISSN:0022-0892