Bacterial Infections
| Disease and Transmission | Microbial Agent | Sources of Agent in Water Supply | General Symptoms |
|---|---|---|---|
| Botulism | Clostridium botulinum | Bacteria can enter an open wound from contaminated water sources. Can enter the gastrointestinal tract by consuming contaminated drinking water or (more commonly) food | Dry mouth, blurred and/or double vision, difficulty swallowing, muscle weakness, difficulty breathing, slurred speech, vomiting and sometimes diarrhea. Death is usually caused by respiratory failure. |
| Campylobacteriosis | Most commonly caused by Campylobacter jejuni | Drinking water contaminated with feces | Produces dysentery like symptoms along with a high fever. Usually lasts 2–10 days. |
| Cholera | Spread by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae | Drinking water contaminated with the bacterium | In severe forms it is known to be one of the most rapidly fatal illnesses known. Symptoms include very watery diarrhea, nausea, cramps, nosebleed, rapid pulse, vomiting, and hypovolemic shock (in severe cases), at which point death can occur in 12–18 hours. |
| E. coli Infection | Certain strains of Escherichia coli (commonly E. coli) | Water contaminated with the bacteria | Mostly diarrhea. Can cause death in immunocompromised individuals, the very young, and the elderly due to dehydration from prolonged illness. |
| M. marinum infection | Mycobacterium marinum | Naturally occurs in water, most cases from exposure in swimming pools or more frequently aquariums; rare infection since it mostly infects immunocompromised individuals | Symptoms include lesions typically located on the elbows, knees, and feet (from swimming pools) or lesions on the hands (aquariums). Lesions may be painless or painful. |
| Dysentery | Caused by a number of species in the genera Shigella and Salmonella with the most common being Shigella dysenteriae | Water contaminated with the bacterium | Frequent passage of feces with blood and/or mucus and in some cases vomiting of blood. |
| Legionellosis (two distinct forms: Legionnaires' disease and Pontiac fever) | Caused by bacteria belonging to genus Legionella (90% of cases caused by Legionella pneumophila) | Contaminated water: the organism thrives in warm aquatic environments. | Pontiac fever produces milder symptoms resembling acute influenza without pneumonia. Legionnaires' disease has severe symptoms such as fever, chills, pneumonia (with cough that sometimes produces sputum), ataxia, anorexia, muscle aches, malaise and occasionally diarrhea and vomiting |
| Leptospirosis | Caused by bacterium of genus Leptospira | Water contaminated by the animal urine carrying the bacteria | Begins with flu-like symptoms then resolves. The second phase then occurs involving meningitis, liver damage (causes jaundice), and renal failure |
| Otitis Externa (swimmer's ear) | Caused by a number of bacterial and fungal species. | Swimming in water contaminated by the responsible pathogens | Ear canal swells causing pain and tenderness to the touch |
| Salmonellosis | Caused by many bacteria of genus Salmonella | Drinking water contaminated with the bacteria. More common as a food borne illness. | Symptoms include diarrhea, fever, vomiting, and abdominal cramps |
| Typhoid fever | Salmonella typhi | Ingestion of water contaminated with feces of an infected person | Characterized by sustained fever up to 40°C (104°F), profuse sweating, diarrhea may occur. Symptoms progress to delirium and the spleen and liver enlarge if untreated. In this case it can last up to four weeks and cause death.Some people with typhoid fever develope a rash called "rose spots" which are small red spots on the abdomen and chest. |
| Vibrio Illness | Vibrio vulnificus, Vibrio alginolyticus, and Vibrio parahaemolyticus | Can enter wounds from contaminated water. Also got by drinking contaminated water or eating undercooked oysters. | Symptoms include Abdominal tenderness, Agitation, Bloody stools, Chills, Confusion, Difficulty paying attention(attention deficit), Delirium, Fluctuation mood, Hallucination, Nosebleeds, Severe fatigue, slow, sluggish, lethargic feeling, weakness. |
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