title: [Outbreak of gastroenteritis caused by Campylobacter jejuni transmitted through drinking water].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to conduct a clinical-epidemiological and microbiological investigation into an outbreak of waterborne disease caused by Campylobacter jejuni due to the consumption of drinking water.
  
  
  METHODS
  A historical cohort study was carried out among 237 residents of Torres de Segre (Lleida, Spain) who were selected using a systematic sample. We conducted a telephone interview about water consumption, symptoms and the onset of disease. We investigated samples of drinking water and stools from 14 patients. The risk associated with each water source was assessed by applying relative risk (RR) analysis at 95% confidence (CI) intervals.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall attack rate was 18.3% (43/237). The symptoms were: diarrhoea, 93.0% (18/43); abdominal pain, 80.9% (34/42); nausea; 56,1% (23/41); vomits, 42.9% (18/42), and fever, 11.9% (5/42). Only 5.8% of patients contact with his physician. The consumption of drinking water was statistically associated with the disease (RR = 3.0; 95% CI, 1.7-5.3), while the consumption of bottled water (RR = 0.6; 95% CI 0.3-1.0) and water from other villages (RR = 0.3; 95% CI, 0.1-1.1) were a protection factor. The day of outbreak notification we did not detect any residual chlorine in the drinking water: it was qualified as no potable and we isolated Campylobacter jejuni in 8 samples stools.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This research highlights the potential importance of waterborne outbreaks of gastroenteritis due to Campylobacter jejuni transmitted through untreated drinking water and suggests to need systematic controls over drinking water and the proper register of their results.
authors.affiliation: Delegación Territorial del Departamento de Sanidad y Seguridad Social. Lleida. España. godoy@slle.scs.es
authors.forename: Pere
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Godoy
authors.forename: Antoni
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Artigues
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nuín
authors.forename: Jesús
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Aramburu
authors.forename: Montse
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pérez
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Domínguez
authors.forename: Lluís
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Salleras
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002169:Campylobacter Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D016123:Campylobacter jejuni; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D013030:Spain; D014871:Water Microbiology