Surveillance for Waterborne-Disease Outbreaks -- United States, 1995-1996

PROBLEM/CONDITION: Since 1971, CDC and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency have maintained a collaborative surveillance system for collecting and periodically reporting data that relate to occurrences and causes of waterborne-disease outbreaks (WBDOs). REPORTING PERIOD COVERED: This summary includes data for January 1995 through December 1996 and previously unreported outbreaks in 1994. DESCRIPTION OF THE SYSTEM: The surveillance system includes data about outbreaks associated with drinking water and recreational water. State, territorial, and local public health departments are primarily responsible for detecting and investigating WBDOs and for voluntarily reporting them to CDC on a standard form. RESULTS: For the period 1995-1996, 13 states reported a total of 22 outbreaks associated with drinking water. These outbreaks caused an estimated total of 2,567 persons to become ill. No deaths were reported. The microbe or chemical that caused the outbreak was identified for 14 (63.6%) of the 22 outbreaks. Giardia lamblia and Shigella sonnei each caused two (9.1%) of the 22 outbreaks; Escherichia coli O157:H7, Plesiomonas shigelloides, and a small round structured virus were implicated for one outbreak (4.5%) each. One of the two outbreaks of giardiasis involved the largest number of cases, with an estimated 1,449 ill persons. Seven outbreaks (31.8% of 22) of chemical poisoning, which involved a total of 90 persons, were reported. Copper and nitrite were associated with two outbreaks (9.1% of 22) each and sodium hydroxide, chlorine, and concentrated liquid soap with one outbreak (4.5%) each. Eleven (50.0%) of the 22 outbreaks were linked to well water, eight in noncommunity and three in community systems. Only three of the 10 outbreaks associated with community water systems were caused by problems at water treatment plants; the other seven resulted from problems in the water distribution systems and plumbing of individual facilities (e.g., a restaurant). Six of the seven outbreaks were associated with chemical contamination of the drinking water; the seventh outbreak was attributed to a small round structured virus. Four of the seven outbreaks occurred because of backflow or backsiphonage through a cross-connection, and two occurred because of high levels of copper that leached into water after the installation of new plumbing. For three of the four outbreaks caused by contamination from a cross-connection, an improperly installed vacuum breaker or a faulty backflow prevention device was identified; no protection against backsiphonage was found for the fourth outbreak. Thirty-seven outbreaks from 17 states were attributed to recreational water exposure and affected an estimated 9,129 persons, including 8,449 persons in two large outbreaks of cryptosporidiosis. Twenty-two (59.5%) of these 37 were outbreaks of gastroenteritis; nine (24.3%) were outbreaks of dermatitis; and six (16.2%) were single cases of primary amebic meningoencephalitis caused by Naegleria fowleri, all of which were fatal. The etiologic agent was identified for 33 (89.2%) of the 37 outbreaks. Six (27.3%) of the 22 outbreaks of gastroenteritis were caused by Cryptosporidium parvum and six (27.3%) by E. coli O157:H7. All of the latter were associated with unchlorinated water (i.e., in lakes) or inadequately chlorinated water (i.e., in a pool). Thirteen (59.1%) of these 22 outbreaks were associated with lake water, eight (36.4%) with swimming or wading pools, and one(4.5%) with a hot spring. Of the nine outbreaks of dermatitis, seven (77.8%) were outbreaks of Pseudomonas dermatitis associated with hot tubs, and two (22.2%) were lake-associated outbreaks of swimmer\u27s itch caused by Schistosoma species. INTERPRETATION: WBDOs caused by E. coli O157:H7 were reported more frequently than in previous years and were associated primarily with recreational lake water. This finding suggests the need for better monitoring of water quality and identification of sources of contamination. Although protozoan parasites, especially Cryptosporidium and Giardia, were associated with fewer reported outbreaks than in previous years, they caused large outbreaks that affected a total of approximately 10,000 persons; all of the outbreaks of cryptosporidiosis were associated with recreational water, primarily swimming pools. Prevention of pool-associated outbreaks caused by chlorine-resistant parasites (e.g., Cryptosporidium and to a lesser extent Giardia) is particularly difficult because it requires improved filtration methods as well as education of patrons about hazards associated with fecal accidents, especially in pools frequented by diaper-aged children. The proportion of reported drinking water outbreaks associated with community water systems that were attributed to problems at water treatment plants has steadily declined since 1989 (i.e., 72.7% for 1989-1990, 62.5% for 1991-1992, 57.1% for 1993-1994, and 30.0% for 1995-1996). This decrease might reflect improvements in water treatment and in operation of plants. The outbreaks attributed to contamination in the distribution system suggest that efforts should be increased to prevent cross-connections, especially by installing and monitoring backflow prevention devices. Actions Taken: Surveillance data that identify the types of water systems, their deficiencies, and the etiologic agents associated with outbreaks are used to evaluate the adequacy of current technologies for providing safe drinking and recreational water. In addition, they are used to establish research priorities and can lead to improved water-quality regulations

Economische gevolgen van bestaande regelgeving voor de Nederlandse varkenshouderij

Op verzoek van LNV is berekend wat de gevolgen voor de varkenshouderij zijn als bedrijven (na de overgangstermijn) moeten voldoen aan de eisen in het Varkensbesluit en Ammoniak- en Nitraatrichtlijn. Op basis van individuele varkensbedrijven in het Bedrijven-Informatienet is nagegaan of bedrijven de noodzakelijke investeringen kunnen financieren en of na de investering nog een inkomen uit het bedrijf resteert. Ook is nagegaan of varkensbedrijven alternatieve vormen van huisvesting toe kunnen passen die minder vergaande investeringen vergen. Het beleid waarvoor de overgangstermijn per 2013 verstrijkt heeft vergaande gevolgen voor de gehele varkenssector

Impact of Bidentate Pyridyl-Mesoionic Carbene Ligands: Structural, (Spectro)Electrochemical, Photophysical, and Theoretical Investigations on Ruthenium(II) Complexes

We present here new synthetic strategies for the isolation of a series of Ru(II) complexes with pyridyl-mesoionic carbene ligands (MIC) of the 1,2,3-triazole-5-ylidene type, in which the bpy ligands (bpy = 2,2′-bipyridine) of the archetypical [Ru(bpy)3]2+ have been successively replaced by one, two, or three pyridyl-MIC ligands. Three new complexes have been isolated and investigated via NMR spectroscopy and single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. The incorporation of one MIC unit shifts the potential of the metal-centered oxidation about 160 mV to more cathodic potential in cyclic voltammetry, demonstrating the extraordinary σ-donor ability of the pyridyl-MIC ligand, while the π-acceptor capacities are dominated by the bpy ligand, as indicated by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroelectrochemistry (EPR-SEC). The replacement of all bpy ligands by the pyridyl-MIC ligand results in an anoidic shift of the ligand-centered reduction by 390 mV compared to the well-established [Ru(bpy)3]2+ complex. In addition, UV/vis/NIR-SEC in combination with theoretical calculations provided detailed insights into the electronic structures of the respective redox states, taking into account the total number of pyridyl-MIC ligands incorporated in the Ru(II) complexes. The luminescence quantum yield and lifetimes were determined by time-resolved absorption and emission spectroscopy. An estimation of the excited state redox potentials conclusively showed that the pyridyl-MIC ligand can tune the photoredox activity of the isolated complexes to stronger photoreductants. These observations can provide new strategies for the design of photocatalysts and photosensitizers based on MICs

State of Charge Estimation of Lead Acid Battery using Neural Network for Advanced Renewable Energy Systems

The Solar Dryer Dome (SDD), an independent energy system equipped with Artificial Intelligence to support the drying process, has been developed. However, inaccurate state-of-charge (SOC) predictions in each battery cell resulted in the vulnerability of the battery to over-charging and over-discharging, which accelerated the battery performance degradation. This research aims to develop an accurate neural network model for predicting the SOC of battery-cell level. The model aims to maintain the battery cell balance under dynamic load applications. It is accompanied by a developed dashboard to monitor and provide crucial information for early maintenance of the battery in the SDD. The results show that the neural network estimates the SOC with the lowest MAE of 0.175, followed by the Random Forest and support vector machine methods with MAE of 0.223 and 0.259, respectively. A dashboard was developed to help farmers monitor batteries efficiently. This research contributes to battery-cell level SOC prediction and the dashboard for battery status monitoring. Doi: 10.28991/ESJ-2023-07-03-02 Full Text: PD

Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Pigs with Exudative Epidermitis

Despite a strict control program for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in human medicine in the Netherlands, MRSA was cultured from exudative epidermitis lesions of 4 piglets on a breeding farm, 20 pigs on a supplier farm, and 2 workers on these farms. The MRSA strains were indistinguishable, suggesting direct transmission

Genetic variation in Pneumocystis carinii isolates from different geographic regions: implications for transmission.

To study transmission patterns of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) in persons with AIDS, we evaluated P. carinii isolates from patients in five U.S. cities for variation at two independent genetic loci, the mitochondrial large subunit rRNA and dihydropteroate synthase. Fourteen unique multilocus genotypes were observed in 191 isolates that were examined at both loci. Mixed infections, accounting for 17.8% of cases, were associated with primary PCP. Genotype frequency distribution patterns varied by patients' place of diagnosis but not by place of birth. Genetic variation at the two loci suggests three probable characteristics of transmission: that most cases of PCP do not result from infections acquired early in life, that infections are actively acquired from a relatively common source (humans or the environment), and that humans, while not necessarily involved in direct infection of other humans, are nevertheless important in the transmission cycle of P. carinii f. sp. hominis

PIP5KIβ Selectively Modulates Apical Endocytosis in Polarized Renal Epithelial Cells

Localized synthesis of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate [PtdIns(4,5)P2] at clathrin coated pits (CCPs) is crucial for the recruitment of adaptors and other components of the internalization machinery, as well as for regulating actin dynamics during endocytosis. PtdIns(4,5)P2 is synthesized from phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate by any of three phosphatidylinositol 5-kinase type I (PIP5KI) isoforms (α, β or γ). PIP5KIβ localizes almost exclusively to the apical surface in polarized mouse cortical collecting duct cells, whereas the other isoforms have a less polarized membrane distribution. We therefore investigated the role of PIP5KI isoforms in endocytosis at the apical and basolateral domains. Endocytosis at the apical surface is known to occur more slowly than at the basolateral surface. Apical endocytosis was selectively stimulated by overexpression of PIP5KIβ whereas the other isoforms had no effect on either apical or basolateral internalization. We found no difference in the affinity for PtdIns(4,5)P2-containing liposomes of the PtdIns(4,5)P2 binding domains of epsin and Dab2, consistent with a generic effect of elevated PtdIns(4,5)P2 on apical endocytosis. Additionally, using apical total internal reflection fluorescence imaging and electron microscopy we found that cells overexpressing PIP5KIβ have fewer apical CCPs but more internalized coated structures than control cells, consistent with enhanced maturation of apical CCPs. Together, our results suggest that synthesis of PtdIns(4,5)P2 mediated by PIP5KIβ is rate limiting for apical but not basolateral endocytosis in polarized kidney cells. PtdIns(4,5)P2 may be required to overcome specific structural constraints that limit the efficiency of apical endocytosis. © 2013 Szalinski et al