Protecting the waters of Wisconsin from microbiological threats.

Standridge, Jon

Wisconsin is blessed with an abundance of high quality water that has played a significant role in the economic and social development of the state. The quality of life for Wisconsinites is often at least partially defined by pristine inland lakes, a portion of the Great Lakes shoreline, or great-tasting well water. While no one likes to associate water with disease, especially waters like those we enjoy in Wisconsin, the historical reality is that there is a strong connection. Until the 1920s, intestinal diseases such as typhoid fever and cholera often spread through water and were a leading cause of death in the United States. While easy access to modern medical care combined with improved water treatment technologies have greatly decreased waterborne disease, the microbiology of Wisconsin's waters still deserves continued vigilance and attention. The World Health Organization currently estimates that, on a global basis, 4 billion annual cases of waterborne diarrhea result in more than 2 million deaths per year--the equivalent of 20 jumbo jet crashes per day. Most of these deaths are in children under 5 years of age. The daily global death toll from waterborne disease is at least 1000 times greater than from the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome epidemic that recently made headline news. Waterborne disease is not just a problem in underdeveloped countries. Scientists who study disease transmission believe that 10%-30% of the vomiting and diarrhea illness in North America, including Wisconsin, may be acquired from water.