Clostridium and Cryptosporidium outbreak linked to a splash pad.

BACKGROUND: . Splash pads for recreational purposes are widespread. Using these pads can pose a health risk if they lack installation regulation and water quality supervision. Our aim was to describe a waterborne disease outbreak caused by Clostridium perfringens and Cryptosporidium spp. in a Barcelona district and the measures taken for its control. METHODS: . On August 2018, 71 cases of acute gastroenteritis were detected, affecting people who used a splash pad or were in contact with a user. Microbiological and environmental investigations were carried out. A descriptive analysis of the sample and Poisson regression models adjusted for age and sex were performed, obtaining frequencies, median values, and adjusted prevalence ratios with their 95% confidence intervals. RESULTS: The median age of the cases was 6.7 years, 27 (38%) required medical care, and three (4.2%) were hospitalized. The greater the number of times a person entered the area, the greater the number of symptoms and their severity. Nineteen (76%) of the 25 stool samples collected from cases showed the presence of one or both pathogens. Environmental investigations showed deficiencies in the facilities and identified the presence of both species in the splash pad. Health education and hygiene measures were carried out, and 14 days after the closure of the facilities, no more cases related to the pad were recorded. CONCLUSIONS: . Specific regulations are needed on the use of splash pads for recreational purposes. Until these regulations are in place, these types of facility should comply with the regulations that apply to swimming pools and spas, including those related to the design of the tanks, water recirculation systems, and adequate disinfection systems.

Microbiological water quality and derived health risks from exposure to ornamental water fountains in the city of Hannover.

Ornamental fountains are attractive urban infrastructures helping cities to cope with global warming, as water sprays have great cooling effects due to evaporative properties; however, exposure to microbiologically impaired water from ornamental fountains during recreational activities may result in adverse health outcomes for the exposed population. This study assesses the microbial water quality of four ornamental water fountains (Blätterbrunnen, Körtingbrunnen, Klaus-Bahlsen-Brunnen, and Marstallbrunnen) and performs a quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) for children using Escherichia coli, Enterococci, and Salmonella to quantify the probability of gastrointestinal illnesses and Pseudomonas aeruginosa to quantify the risk of dermal infections. Samples were collected fortnightly in two campaigns in 2020 and 2021 and processed to determine bacterial concentrations. Data on exposure time were obtained during field observations on the selected fountains; a total of 499 people were observed of which 30% were children. Mean bacterial concentrations ranged from 1.6 × 101 to 6.1 × 102 most probable number (MPN)/100 mL for E. coli, 1.2 × 101 -1.2 × 103  MPN/100 mL for Enterococci, 8.6 × 103 -3.1 × 105  CFU/100 mL for Salmonella, and 2.5 × 103 -3.2 × 104  MPN/100 mL for P. aeruginosa. The results of the QMRA study showed that the USEPA illness rate of 36 NEEAR-gastrointestinal illnesses/1000 was exceeded for Enterococci at the Körtingbrunnen, Klaus-Bahlsen-Brunnen, and Marstallbrunnen fountains and for Salmonella and P. aeruginosa at the Körtingbrunnen fountain, suggesting that exposure to microbiologically contaminated water from ornamental fountains may pose a health risk to children. The scenario analysis shows the importance of keeping low bacterial concentrations in ornamental fountains so that the risk of illness/infection to children does not exceed the USEPA illness rate benchmark.

Presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA on playground surfaces and water fountains.

The possibility of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmission by fomites or environmental surfaces has been suggested. It is unclear if SARS-CoV-2 can be detected in outdoor public areas. The objective of the current study was to assess the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in environmental samples collected at public playgrounds and water fountains, in a country with high disease prevalence. Environmental samples were collected from six cities in central Israel. Samples were collected from drinking fountains and high-touch recreational equipment at playgrounds. Sterile pre-moistened swabs were used to collect the samples, put in viral transfer media and transferred to the laboratory. Viral detection was achieved by real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, targeting four genes. Forty-three samples were collected from playground equipment and 25 samples from water fountains. Two of the 43 (4.6%) samples from playground equipment and one (4%) sample from a drinking fountain tested positive. It is unclear whether the recovery of viral RNA on outdoor surfaces also indicates the possibility of acquiring the virus. Adherence to environmental and personal hygiene in urban settings seems prudent.

Desestratificação de reservatórios por meio de aeração artificial / Reservoir destratification via artificial aeration

RESUMO No presente trabalho, avaliou-se em escala de laboratório e por meio de modelagem matemática o processo de desestratificação da coluna d'água usando aeração por ar difuso. Foram identificados dois padrões de escoamento: um regime de pluma, no qual o escoamento induzido pelas bolhas penetra na interface entre as duas camadas de diferentes densidades e ascende à superfície da água; e um regime de fonte, no qual o escoamento penetra parcialmente na interface e colapsa para formar uma camada de densidade intermediária. Os resultados experimentais mostraram que o regime de pluma promove mistura mais rápida da camada superior (epilímnio) do que o regime de fonte. Os tempos de mistura da camada inferior (hipolímnio), entretanto, foram praticamente os mesmos para os dois regimes. Após o ajuste de parâmetros do modelo que descreve a incorporação do fluido ambiente na pluma e na fonte, pôde-se simular o processo de desestratificação da coluna d'água com boa aderência aos dados experimentais obtidos nesta pesquisa e em trabalhos anteriores. Por fim, o modelo validado foi aplicado para a simulação do impacto de diferentes vazões de ar na evolução temporal do processo de desestratificação de reservatórios (escala real), sendo discutidos os custos com energia elétrica para bombeamento e as possíveis implicações na qualidade da água desses corpos hídricos.

ABSTRACT In the present work, the destratification process of water column using diffused-aeration was evaluated at laboratorial scale by mathematical modelling. Two flow patterns were identified, a plume regime, in which the bubble-induced flow penetrates the interface (density gradient) and rises to the water surface, and a fountain regime, in which the flow partially penetrates the interface and collapses to form an intermediate-density layer. The experimental results showed that the plume regime promotes a faster mixing of the upper layer (epilimnion) than the fountain regime. However, the mixing times of the lower layer (hypolimnion) were practically the same for both regimes. After adjusting the parameters that describe the entrainment of the ambient fluid into the plume and fountain, it was possible to simulate the process of water column destratification with good adherence to the experimental data obtained in this research and previous studies. Finally, the validated model was applied to simulate the impact of different airflow rates on the reservoir destratification process' (real scale) time evolution, and the possible implications for the water quality of these water bodies were discussed.

Access to public drinking water fountains in Berkeley, California: a geospatial analysis.

BACKGROUND: In January 2015, Berkeley, California became the first city in the Unites States to impose a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages. The tax is intended to discourage purchase of sugary beverages and promote consumption of healthier alternatives such as tap water. The goal of the study was to assess the condition of public drinking water fountains and determine if there is a difference in access to clean, functioning fountains based on race or socio-economic status. METHODS: A mobile-GIS App was created to locate and collect data on existing drinking water fountains in Berkeley, CA. Demographic variables related to race and socio-economic status (SES) were acquired from the US Census - American Community Survey database. Disparities in access to, or condition of drinking water fountains relative to demographics was explored using spatial analyses. Spatial statistical-analysis was performed to estimate demographic characteristics of communities near the water fountains and logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between household median income or race and condition of fountain. RESULTS: Although most fountains were classified as functioning, some were dirty, clogged, or both dirty and clogged. No spatial relationships between demographic characteristics and fountain conditions were observed. DISCUSSION: All geo-located data and a series of maps were provided to the City of Berkeley and the public. CONCLUSIONS: The geo-database created as an outcome of this study is useful for prioritizing maintenance of existing fountains and planning the locations of future fountains. The methodologies used for this study could be applied to a wide variety of asset inventory and assessment projects such as clinics or pharmaceutical dispensaries, both in developed and developing countries.

Prevalence and antimicrobial resistance of Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli isolated from children and environmental sources in urban and suburban areas.

BACKGROUND: Campylobacteriosis is a dominant bacterial cause of foodborne infection and is considered the main public health problem in Europe and many other countries worldwide. In the study lasting from 2011 to 2013 we compared the prevalence and antimicrobial resistance of Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli isolated from children, domestic animals, poultry meat and surface water in Northern Poland. RESULTS: During a 3-years study 1973 samples were analysed. The results proved the presence of Campylobacter spp. in 306 (15.5%) samples. The percentage of Campylobacter-positive samples differed among the sample types, from 0% (freshwater beaches) to 38.6% (poultry meat in 2011). Prevalence of Campylobacter spp. in children isolates was 9.6%. It decreased from 13.2% in 2011 to 8.0% in 2013. It should be highlighted with a particular concern that Campylobacter jejuni was detected in 20.0% of fountains. All children and poultry meat isolates were susceptible to azithromycin. Two C. coli (3.7%) and four C. jejuni (3.3%) isolated from poultry meat were resistant to erythromycin. The highest percentage of C. jejuni isolates with resistance to ciprofloxacin were found in samples from 80% dogs and 85% ponds. Among isolates resistant to two antimicrobials 74.7% C. jejuni and 59.2% C. coli isolates were resistant to ciprofloxacin as well as to tetracycline. Only one cat C. coli isolate was resistant to both azithromycin and erythromycin. One C. jejuni isolate from a fountain was resistant to four antimicrobial agents (erythromycin, azithromycin, tetracycline and ciprofloxacin). CONCLUSIONS: The study proved that surface water, poultry meat and pets constituted potential sources of Campylobacter to children. Fountains can be a direct source of children campylobacteriosis but can also pollute other environments with multidrug-resistant Campylobacter. The high resistance to some antimicrobials among the isolates may lead to increasing numbers of difficult-to-treat campylobacteriosis cases among children.

Monitoramento microbiológico da água de bicas em parques públicos de Curitiba (PR) / Microbiological monitoring from fountains in public parks in Curitiba (PR), Brazil

RESUMO Nascentes localizadas em locais públicos, como praças e parques, frequentemente são utilizadas pela população como fonte alternativa de água, o que pode colocar em risco a saúde pública quando não há qualidade adequada para consumo. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a água das bicas localizadas em três parques públicos da cidade de Curitiba, Paraná. O monitoramento foi realizado mensalmente por meio de de análises microbiológicas de coliformes totais (CT), Escherichia coli (EC) e bactérias heterotróficas (BH), e tomadas de pH, com coletas em triplicata durante um ano em três pontos: Parque Atuba (A), Parque Gutierrez (B) e Parque São Lourenço (C). Os resultados mostraram contaminação por CT no ponto A, em B foi observado presença em níveis elevados em todas as coletas de CT(log 2,4350±0,6730 NMP.100 mL-1), EC (log 1,0890±0,6327 NMP.100 mL-1) e BH (log 1,9170±0,6920 UFC.mL-1), não sendo observadas diferenças significativas entre os períodos de coleta (p>0,05). Foi evidenciado que nos períodos chuvosos a condição de potabilidade da água decaiu em todos os pontos avaliados, com aumento significativo na contagem de CT seguido pelo acréscimo de BH, sugerindo infiltração nas nascentes canalizadas. A presença constante de EC no ponto B sugere contaminação por esgoto, o que pode colocar em risco a saúde das pessoas que consomem a água disponível nas bicas.

ABSTRACT Water sources in public places like parks and squares are often used by people as an alternative for available water, which might be a public health concern when there is no adequate quality for consumption. The aim of this study was to evaluate the water quality from the fountains located in three public parks in Curitiba, Paraná, Brasil. The monitoring was conducted monthly by microbiological analysis of total coliforms (TC), Escherichia coli (EC) and heterotrophic bacteria (HB) and the pH was taken, with triplicate samples during a year at three sites: Atuba Park (A), Gutierrez Park (B) and São Lourenço Park (C). The results showed TC in site A; at B it was observed the presence, at high levels, of TC (log 2.4350± 0.6730 NMP.100 mL-1), EC (log 1.0890±0.6327 NMP.100 mL-1) and HB (log 1.9170±0.6920 UFC.mL-1), significant differences among sampling periods were not observed (p>0.05). It was observed that in the rainy season the condition of water portability decreased in all evaluated sites with a significant increase in TC, followed by increasing of HB, suggesting infiltration in the channeled sources. The presence of E. coli in site B suggests wastewater pollution, which can endanger the health people consuming the available water in the taps.

A luz verde do Morro Vermelho: a elaboração da experiência do sobrenatural em uma tradicional comunidade mineira / The green light on Morro Vermelho: the elaboration of a supernatural experience in a traditional community in Minas Gerais

A partir de depoimentos de moradores de Morro Vermelho (MG) e na perspectiva fenomenológica de pesquisa em Psicologia, procura-se abordar algumas experiências ligadas ao sobrenatural ocorridas naquela região. Pretende-se compreender o modo como tais experiências se estruturam na vida daquela comunidade, procurando-se, ainda, articular tal compreensão com os conceitos de memória coletiva e individual em Maurice Halbwachs e, ainda, com a noção de fontes morais descrita por Charles Taylor.

The study focuses on depositions of residents in Morro Velho (MG), des-cribing "supernatural acts" which occured in that region. The methodologyof study follows a phenomenological perspective of research in Psychology.The objective is to observe the integration of the perceived acts into the ex-perience of the community and to report with: 1) the concepts of individualand collective memory by Maurice Halbwachs; and 2) the notion of moralfountains described by Charles Taylor