Ten outbreaks of waterborne acute gastroenteritis (AGE) have been investigated in France since 1998. These outbreaks have affected populations of over 1,000 people, with generally high attack rates. The causal agents have been identified in six of these events. Aetiologies involved mainly noroviruses and Cryptosporidium sp. The point of entry of the contamination was located in the distribution network in five outbreaks (waste water backflows in four cases and one case of contamination induced by maintenance work) and at the water collection facilities in five other cases. Once the outbreak was detected, epidemiological and environmental investigations and crisis management followed well-established procedures. Further progress in public health surveillance will depend on more complete and rapid detection and reporting. Automated analysis of health insurance data on the reimbursement of drugs for AGE should help make detection more complete. Improved reactivity depends primarily on the operator immediately reporting incidents that indicate a possible massive contamination of the water network to health authorities – in particular complaints from the population, which are the only early-warning alerts in the case of waste water backflows.
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Research Article|
March 01 2008
Lessons learned from ten investigations of waterborne gastroenteritis outbreaks, France, 1998–2006
Pascal Beaudeau;
1Institut de Veille Sanitaire, 14 rue du Val-d'Osne, 94415, Saint-Maurice Cedex, France
Tel.: +33 1 41 79 68 22 Fax: +33 1 41 79 67 68; E-mail: [email protected]
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Henriette de Valk;
Henriette de Valk
1Institut de Veille Sanitaire, 14 rue du Val-d'Osne, 94415, Saint-Maurice Cedex, France
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Véronique Vaillant;
Véronique Vaillant
1Institut de Veille Sanitaire, 14 rue du Val-d'Osne, 94415, Saint-Maurice Cedex, France
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Christian Mannschott;
Christian Mannschott
2DDASS, rue Bénit, 54035, Nancy Cedex, France
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Claude Tillier;
Claude Tillier
3Cire Centre-Est, DRASS de Bourgogne, 11 rue de l'Hôpital, 21035, Dijon Cedex, France
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Damien Mouly;
Damien Mouly
1Institut de Veille Sanitaire, 14 rue du Val-d'Osne, 94415, Saint-Maurice Cedex, France
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Martine Ledrans
Martine Ledrans
1Institut de Veille Sanitaire, 14 rue du Val-d'Osne, 94415, Saint-Maurice Cedex, France
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J Water Health (2008) 6 (4): 491–503.
Article history
Received:
May 15 2007
Accepted:
July 16 2007
Citation
Pascal Beaudeau, Henriette de Valk, Véronique Vaillant, Christian Mannschott, Claude Tillier, Damien Mouly, Martine Ledrans; Lessons learned from ten investigations of waterborne gastroenteritis outbreaks, France, 1998–2006. J Water Health 1 December 2008; 6 (4): 491–503. doi: https://doi.org/10.2166/wh.2008.051
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