Recreational water illness prevention, 2009: charting a course through stormy waters.

Editor’s note: NEHA strives to provide up-to-date and relevant information on environmental health and to build part­ nerships in the profession. In pursuit of these goals, we feature a column from the Environmental Health Services Branch (EHSB) of the Centers for Disease Con­ trol and Prevention (CDC) in every issue of the Journal. In this column, EHSB and guest au­ thors from across CDC will highlight a variety of concerns, opportunities, chal­ lenges, and successes that we all share in environmental public health. EHSB’s objective is to strengthen the role of state, local, and national environmental health programs and professionals to anticipate, identify, and respond to adverse environ­ mental exposures and the consequences of these exposures for human health. The services being developed through EHSB include access to topical, relevant, and scientific information; consultation; and assistance to environmental health spe­ cialists, sanitarians, and environmental health professionals and practitioners. Michael Beach is associate director for Healthy Water for CDC’s National Center for Zoonotic, Vector-Borne, and Enteric Diseases. He also leads the Water and Environment Ac­ tivity in CDC’s Division of Parasitic Diseases. The conclusions in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily rep­ resent the views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Recreational Water Illness Prevention, 2009: Charting a Course through Stormy Waters