Procedures to Investigate Waterborne Illness

Written by a team of international experts, this third edition designed to guide public health personnel or teams in any country that investigates reports of alleged waterborne illnesses. The manual is based on epidemiologic principles and investigative techniques that have been found effective in determining causal factors of disease incidence. The guidelines are presented in the sequence usually followed during investigations and are organized so that an investigator can easily find the information needed in any phase of an investigation.

Included are descriptions of the following procedures:

• Develop a waterborne disease surveillance and emergency operations program

• Handle illness alerts and water-related complaints that may be related to illness

• Interview ill persons, those at risk, and controls

• Develop a case definition

• Coll

• Trace sources of contamination

• Identify factors responsible for contamination, survival of pathogenic microorganisms

or toxic substances, and/or propagation of pathogens

• Collate and interpret collected data

• Report information about the outbreak

 This edition has been extensively updated. A section has been added on water not intended for drinking as a source of illness. The chapter on “collection and analys