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. 2015 Jun 26;64(24):668-72.

Outbreaks of Illness Associated with Recreational Water--United States, 2011-2012

Michele C Hlavsa, Virginia A Roberts, Amy M Kahler, Elizabeth D Hilborn, Taryn R Mecher, Michael J Beach, Timothy J Wade, Jonathan S Yoder; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Outbreaks of Illness Associated with Recreational Water--United States, 2011-2012

Michele C Hlavsa et al. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. .

Abstract

Outbreaks of illness associated with recreational water use result from exposure to chemicals or infectious pathogens in recreational water venues that are treated (e.g., pools and hot tubs or spas) or untreated (e.g., lakes and oceans). For 2011-2012, the most recent years for which finalized data were available, public health officials from 32 states and Puerto Rico reported 90 recreational water-associated outbreaks to CDC's Waterborne Disease and Outbreak Surveillance System (WBDOSS) via the National Outbreak Reporting System (NORS). The 90 outbreaks resulted in at least 1,788 cases, 95 hospitalizations, and one death. Among 69 (77%) outbreaks associated with treated recreational water, 36 (52%) were caused by Cryptosporidium. Among 21 (23%) outbreaks associated with untreated recreational water, seven (33%) were caused by Escherichia coli (E. coli O157:H7 or E. coli O111). Guidance, such as the Model Aquatic Health Code (MAHC), for preventing and controlling recreational water-associated outbreaks can be optimized when informed by national outbreak and laboratory (e.g., molecular typing of Cryptosporidium) data.

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Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Number* of outbreaks associated with recreational water, by month — United States, 2011–2012† * Total n = 90. † Numbers for 2011 and 2012 are combined for each month.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Number* of outbreaks associated with recreational water, by year — United States, 1978–2012 * Total n = 879.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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