Groundwater as a Vehicle for Disease Transmission in Southeastern Idaho: A Case Study

Shigella flexneri was isolated from five individuals that consumed food and water at two duplexes served by a single domestic well. Twenty-five additional contacts reported gastroenteritis of unknown etiology. Onsite investigation revealed two wells on the property, a domestic well that supplied wat...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of environmental health 1995-12, Vol.58 (5), p.16-19
Main Authors: Van Every, Lynn R., Dawson, S. Dee
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Bacillary dysentery
Bacteria
Care and treatment
Disease
Disease outbreaks
Disease transmission
Effluents
Environmental health
Epidemics
Epidemiology
Escherichia coli
FEATURES
Fecal coliforms
Gastroenteritis
Groundwater
Health aspects
Prevention
Sewage effluent
Shigella
Shigella flexneri
Water, Underground
Waterborne infections
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Summary:Shigella flexneri was isolated from five individuals that consumed food and water at two duplexes served by a single domestic well. Twenty-five additional contacts reported gastroenteritis of unknown etiology. Onsite investigation revealed two wells on the property, a domestic well that supplied water to the duplexes and an unused well pit with an open bore hole. The well pit was receiving sewage effluent from a 1 1/2 inch pipe discharging approximately 1/2 gal/min. The onsite domestic well and a neighboring domestic well, both located within 40 feet of the old well pit, tested positive for total and fecal coliform bacteria and Escherichia coli. A fluorescein dye trace showed a hydraulic connection between the pit well and the contaminated domestic wells. Formal abandonment of the unused well was completed and subsequent sampling of the domestic wells indicated no further fecal coliform or E. coli contamination. No additional cases of gastroenteritis or shigellosis were reported after district health personnel instructed contacts to practice proper personal hygiene, encouraged ill individuals to seek medical treatment, and recommended immediate use of alternate water supplies.
ISSN:0022-0892