Human and Bovine Viruses and Bacteria at Three Great Lakes Beaches: Environmental Variable Associations and Health Risk

Abstract

Waterborne pathogens were measured at three beaches in Lake Michigan, environmental factors for predicting pathogen concentrations were identified, and the risk of swimmer infection and illness was estimated. Waterborne pathogens were detected in 96% of samples collected at three Lake Michigan beaches in summer, 2010. Samples were quantified for 22 pathogens in four microbial categories (human viruses, bovine viruses, protozoa, and pathogenic bacteria). All beaches had detections of human and bovine viruses and pathogenic bacteria indicating influence of multiple contamination sources at these beaches. Occurrence ranged from 40 to 87% for human viruses, 65-87% for pathogenic bacteria, and 13-35% for bovine viruses. Enterovirus, adenovirus A, Salmonella spp., Campylobacter jejuni, bovine polyomavirus, and bovine rotavirus A were present most frequently. Variables selected in multiple regression models used to explore environmental factors that influence pathogens included wave direction, cloud cover, currents, and water temperature. Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment was done for C. jejuni, Salmonella spp., and enteroviruses to estimate risk of infection and illness. Median infection risks for one-time swimming events were approximately 2 × 10(-5), 8 × 10(-6), and 3 × 10(-7) [corrected] for C. jejuni, Salmonella spp., and enteroviruses, respectively. Results highlight the importance of investigating multiple pathogens within multiple categories to avoid underestimating the prevalence and risk of waterborne pathogens.

Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment for Workers Exposed to Bioaerosol in Wastewater Treatment Plants Aimed at the Choice and Setup of Safety Measures

“…In our study, we used HAdV, but the same methodology could be applied to other microorganisms, depending on their epidemiological importance and provided that dose–response curves are known. Moreover, a multipathogen risk assessment could be performed, as is already done in other settings (i.e., recreational waters [ 36 , 37 , 38 ]).…”

Spatiotemporal variability and key influencing factors of river fecal coliform within a typical complex watershed

“…According to two years of monitoring, the FC concentrations of 441 samples ranged from 20e3.50 Â 10 7 MPN/L, 60.76% of which were greater than 1.00 Â 10 5 MPN/L. Many studies have shown that fecal pollution may cause serious health risk to humans (Shibata and Solo-Gabriele, 2012;Corsi et al, 2016;Boehm et al, 2018;Gonz alez-Saldía et al, 2019), and Shibata and Solo-Gabrieleet (2012) indicated that the enterovirus was 5e500 MPN/g in beach sand for a normal child with a risk level of 1.9 Â 10 À2 . Gonz alez-Saldía et al (2019) suggested that the monitoring area with FC concentration of more than 1.00 Â 10 5 MPN/L resulted higher health risk including ear ailments, gastrointestinal illness and symptoms of many illnesses.…”

Climate change-induced increases in precipitation are reducing the potential for solar ultraviolet radiation to inactivate pathogens in surface waters

“…This in turn increases the threat of exposure to contaminated water and infectious diseases. In the Laurentian Great Lakes region the nexus of high human activity, heavy dependence on surface water resources, and climate change is creating substantial concerns for water quality and human pathogens 50 . This is illustrated here by a case study of the effects of heavy precipitation and runoff on river discharge, water transparency, and SIP where the Manitowoc River flows into Lake Michigan (Fig.…”