ABSTRACT

In this article we review information from 230 waterborne outbreaks reported in the United States during the period 1991 to 1998. More than 443,000 cases of illness occurred during outbreaks in 41 states and three U.S. territories. An estimated 764 hospitalizations and 60 deaths occurred. Most (55%) of the outbreaks were associated with contaminated drinking water. Of the 126 drinkingwater outbreaks, 109 were reported in public water systems, and 17 were reported in individual water systems. An additional 104 (45%) outbreaks were associated with recreational water activities, which were primarily swimming. The U.S. disease surveillance system is discussed in Chapter 3 and also in various reports.