A Waterborne Disease Outbreak

Abstract

In Sweden 63 waterborne outbreaks occurred during the last 10 years. Even if these outbreaks include smaller family incidents, at least 10 community outbreaks involved more than 1,000 victims each, the largest being in the city of Boden in 1988. This outbreak hit 41% of the population with gastrointestinal symptoms and was preceded by the distribution of virtually untreated, fecally contaminated river water due to a transitory absence of chlorination.