Surveillance and Investigation of Contamination Incidents and Waterborne Outbreaks

This chapter examines the investigation of possible waterborne outbreaks (due to drinking water) and, in particular, the role of laboratory analyses in the investigation. Outbreaks are the most obvious manifestation of waterborne disease, though not all such disease is associated with outbreaks. The detection and investigation of outbreaks provides some of the best insights into the microbial aetiology and the types of process failures that lead to waterborne disease. As such, they provide essential information for hazard analysis and risk assessment associated with drinking water (see Chapter 3). Because of this, it is essential that outbreaks are adequately investigated so that the appropriate lessons can be learned and preventative measures applied to mitigate against future outbreaks and to improve the microbial safety of water generally.