title: A waterborne outbreak and detection of cryptosporidium oocysts in drinking water of an older high-rise apartment complex in seoul.
abstract: From May to June 2012, a waterborne outbreak of 124 cases of cryptosporidiosis occurred in the plumbing systems of an older high-rise apartment complex in Seoul, Republic of Korea. The residents of this apartment complex had symptoms of watery diarrhea and vomiting. Tap water samples in the apartment complex and its adjacent buildings were collected and tested for 57 parameters under the Korean Drinking Water Standards and for additional 11 microbiological parameters. The microbiological parameters included total colony counts, Clostridium perfringens, Enterococcus, fecal streptococcus, Salmonella, Shigella, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Cryptosporidium oocysts, Giardia cysts, total culturable viruses, and Norovirus. While the tap water samples of the adjacent buildings complied with the Korean Drinking Water Standards for all parameters, fecal bacteria and Cryptosporidium oocysts were detected in the tap water samples of the outbreak apartment complex. It turned out that the agent of the disease was Cryptosporidium parvum. The drinking water was polluted with sewage from a septic tank in the apartment complex. To remove C. parvum oocysts, we conducted physical processes of cleaning the water storage tanks, flushing the indoor pipes, and replacing old pipes with new ones. Finally we restored the clean drinking water to the apartment complex after identification of no oocysts.
authors.affiliation: Seoul Waterworks Research Institute, Seoul 716-010, Korea.
authors.forename: Eun-Joo
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Jin-Young
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Eun-Sook
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Se-Chul
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: So-Yang
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Cha
authors.forename: Sung-Tek
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Man-Ho
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Sun-Hee
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Young-Sang
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D003457:Cryptosporidiosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology*; D016785:Cryptosporidium parvum / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D060766:Drinking Water / Q000469:parasitology*; D006798:Housing; D006801:Humans; D033661:Oocysts / Q000254:growth & development; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D014881:Water Supply / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D060766:Drinking Water
keywords: Cryptosporidium parvum; cryptosporidiosis; drinking water supply; oocyst; plumbing system
references.citation: Kansenshogaku Zasshi. 1996 Feb;70(2):132-40
references.pmid: 8851385
references.citation: Appl Environ Microbiol. 2012 Sep;78(17):5994-6000
references.pmid: 22706058
references.citation: Korean J Parasitol. 2009 Sep;47(3):219-25
references.pmid: 19724694
references.citation: Int J Parasitol. 2000 Nov;30(12-13):1305-22
references.pmid: 11113257
references.citation: Water Res. 2011 Dec 15;45(20):6603-14
references.pmid: 22048017
references.citation: FEMS Microbiol Rev. 2002 Jun;26(2):113-23
references.pmid: 12069877
references.citation: Korean J Parasitol. 2004 Mar;42(1):1-6
references.pmid: 15060334
references.citation: Water Res. 2010 Feb;44(4):1182-92
references.pmid: 19084252
references.citation: N Engl J Med. 1995 Mar 30;332(13):855-9
references.pmid: 7870140
references.citation: FEMS Immunol Med Microbiol. 2008 Apr;52(3):309-23
references.pmid: 18205803
references.citation: Korean J Parasitol. 1993 Sep;31(3):193-9
references.pmid: 7694650
references.citation: Water Res. 2010 Dec;44(20):5887-96
references.pmid: 20673950
references.citation: Korean J Parasitol. 2010 Sep;48(3):219-24
references.pmid: 20877500
references.citation: Korean J Parasitol. 1996 Jun;34(2):113-9
references.pmid: 8925243
references.citation: Water Res. 2002 Feb;36(3):519-26
references.pmid: 11827314
references.citation: Appl Environ Microbiol. 2002 Feb;68(2):569-75
references.pmid: 11823192
references.citation: J Vet Med Sci. 2010 Feb;72(2):167-72
references.pmid: 19942816
references.citation: Euro Surveill. 2009 Jan 15;14(2):
references.pmid: 19161717
references.citation: Korean J Parasitol. 2005 Sep;43(3):111-4
references.pmid: 16192752
references.citation: Korean J Parasitol. 2001 Jun;39(2):201-3
references.pmid: 11441509
references.citation: Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2001 Nov;65(5):518-22
references.pmid: 11716107