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Waterborne Infectious Diseases
CDC information about waterborne infectious diseases
Disease Information
Bacterial
Waterborne Diseases: Technical Information
Fact sheet
Bacterial
Waterborne Diseases: Additional Information
Recommended sites and publications
Diseases related to drinking water
In the United States, contaminated drinking water in homes and businesses is usually a result of water main breaks or other emergency situations. Parasites cause the majority of problems.
Healthy
Drinking Water site
Whether
it's from your tap or from a bottle, find out where the water you drink
comes from and whether it has been made safe to drink. Learn to read a
Consumer Confidence Report, or test your well.
See also: Water Quality
Selected diseases spread through drinking water (United States)
Cryptosporidium
infection
(Cryptosporidiosis,
pronounced krip-toe-spo-rid-ee-oh-sis)
Escherichia
coli O157:H7 infection
(E. coli infection)
Giardia
infection
(Giardiasis,
pronounced GEE-are-DYE-uh-sis)
Hemolytic uremic syndrome
Commonly caused by Escherichia coli O157:H7. Results in acute kidney failure.
See Escherichia
coli infection above.
Hepatitis A
Viral Hepatitis A
Fact sheets, recommendations, publications
Hepatitis A
Travelers' Health information from CDC Health Information for International Travel 2008
For other diseases spread by parasites, see: Healthy Water
Treating water in emergencies or when camping
Emergency
Disinfection of Drinking Water
How to obtain clean water for drinking, cooking, brushing teeth, and so
on, when tap water supplies are unclean or unavailable. Although written
for emergency situations, the information is also suitable for campers.
From Office of Water, Environmental Protection Agency. This site is outside
of CDC.*
Recreational Water Illnesses
Avoiding diseases from lakes, pools, and other water recreation areas
Healthy Swimming
With swimming such a popular activity, you should know how to protect you and your family from recreational water illnesses (RWIs) and help stop germs from getting into the water where you swim in the first place. Fact sheets and printable materials
Information for Travelers
Safe
Food and Water
What travelers need to know about avoiding infectious diseases spread
through water
Risks from Food and Water (Drinking and Recreational)
In CDC Health Information for International Travel 2008
Travelers'
Health
Current outbreaks, diseases to watch for in specific regions, precautions
and vaccinations for specific diseases. If you’re planning a trip, check
the Destinations
section to find out if waterborne diseases are a problem where you’re
going, and if they are, to learn what to do to protect yourself when you’re
there.
Information for People with Weakened Immune Systems
Cryptosporidiosis and Immunocompromised Persons
Resources about infection with Cryptosporidium for immunocompromised people and their health care providers.
Safe
Food and Water: A Guide for People with HIV Infection
Brochure. May also be useful for other people with weakened immune systems.
From the National Center for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention
Selected Prevention and Program Information
Safe Water System
A water quality intervention that employs simple, inexpensive and robust
technologies appropriate for the developing world. The objective is to
make water safe through disinfection and safe storage at the point of
use. A program of the Division of Foodborne, Bacterial and Mycotic Diseases.
Division of Foodborne, Bacterial and Mycotic Diseases
Division of Parasitic Diseases
Division of Viral and Rickettsial Diseases
*Note: This link leads outside the CDC site to another federal agency or CDC partner site. Any links from these sites to nonfederal organizations' links do not constitute an endorsement of these organizations or their programs by CDC or the federal government, and none should be inferred. CDC is not responsible for the content of the individual organization Web pages found at these links. The link will open the page in a new browser window.
Page last modified: June 17, 2008