Abstract
Severe flooding occurred in the midwestern United States in 2001. Since November 2000, coincidentally, data on gastrointestinal symptoms had been collected for a drinking water intervention study in a community along the Mississippi River that was affected by the flood. After the flood had subsided, the authors asked these subjects (n = 1,110) about their contact with floodwater. The objectives of this investigation were to determine whether rates of gastrointestinal illness were elevated during the flood and whether contact with floodwater was associated with increased risk of gastrointestinal illness. An increase in the incidence of gastrointestinal symptoms during the flood was observed (incidence rate ratio = 1.29, 95% confidence interval: 1.06, 1.58), and this effect was pronounced among persons with potential sensitivity to infectious gastrointestinal illness. Tap water consumption was not related to gastrointestinal symptoms before, during, or after the flood. An association between gastrointestinal symptoms and contact with floodwater was also observed, and this effect was pronounced in children. This appears to be the first report of an increase in endemic gastrointestinal symptoms in a longitudinal cohort prospectively observed during a flood. These findings suggest that severe climatic events can result in an increase in the endemic incidence of gastrointestinal symptoms in the United States.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 398-405 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | American Journal of Epidemiology |
| Volume | 159 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Feb 15 2004 |
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Keywords
- Communicable diseases
- Diarrhea
- Gastrointestinal tract
- Natural disasters
- Water
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Epidemiology
Cite this
Did a Severe Flood in the Midwest Cause an Increase in the Incidence of Gastrointestinal Symptoms? / Wade, Timothy J.; Sandhu, Sukhminder K.; Levy, Deborah; Lee, Sherline; LeChevallier, Mark W.; Katz, Louis; Colford, John M.
In: American Journal of Epidemiology, Vol. 159, No. 4, 15.02.2004, p. 398-405.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Did a Severe Flood in the Midwest Cause an Increase in the Incidence of Gastrointestinal Symptoms?
AU - Wade, Timothy J.
AU - Sandhu, Sukhminder K.
AU - Levy, Deborah
AU - Lee, Sherline
AU - LeChevallier, Mark W.
AU - Katz, Louis
AU - Colford, John M.
PY - 2004/2/15
Y1 - 2004/2/15
N2 - Severe flooding occurred in the midwestern United States in 2001. Since November 2000, coincidentally, data on gastrointestinal symptoms had been collected for a drinking water intervention study in a community along the Mississippi River that was affected by the flood. After the flood had subsided, the authors asked these subjects (n = 1,110) about their contact with floodwater. The objectives of this investigation were to determine whether rates of gastrointestinal illness were elevated during the flood and whether contact with floodwater was associated with increased risk of gastrointestinal illness. An increase in the incidence of gastrointestinal symptoms during the flood was observed (incidence rate ratio = 1.29, 95% confidence interval: 1.06, 1.58), and this effect was pronounced among persons with potential sensitivity to infectious gastrointestinal illness. Tap water consumption was not related to gastrointestinal symptoms before, during, or after the flood. An association between gastrointestinal symptoms and contact with floodwater was also observed, and this effect was pronounced in children. This appears to be the first report of an increase in endemic gastrointestinal symptoms in a longitudinal cohort prospectively observed during a flood. These findings suggest that severe climatic events can result in an increase in the endemic incidence of gastrointestinal symptoms in the United States.
AB - Severe flooding occurred in the midwestern United States in 2001. Since November 2000, coincidentally, data on gastrointestinal symptoms had been collected for a drinking water intervention study in a community along the Mississippi River that was affected by the flood. After the flood had subsided, the authors asked these subjects (n = 1,110) about their contact with floodwater. The objectives of this investigation were to determine whether rates of gastrointestinal illness were elevated during the flood and whether contact with floodwater was associated with increased risk of gastrointestinal illness. An increase in the incidence of gastrointestinal symptoms during the flood was observed (incidence rate ratio = 1.29, 95% confidence interval: 1.06, 1.58), and this effect was pronounced among persons with potential sensitivity to infectious gastrointestinal illness. Tap water consumption was not related to gastrointestinal symptoms before, during, or after the flood. An association between gastrointestinal symptoms and contact with floodwater was also observed, and this effect was pronounced in children. This appears to be the first report of an increase in endemic gastrointestinal symptoms in a longitudinal cohort prospectively observed during a flood. These findings suggest that severe climatic events can result in an increase in the endemic incidence of gastrointestinal symptoms in the United States.
KW - Communicable diseases
KW - Diarrhea
KW - Gastrointestinal tract
KW - Natural disasters
KW - Water
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=1042276619&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=1042276619&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1093/aje/kwh050
DO - 10.1093/aje/kwh050
M3 - Article
C2 - 14769644
AN - SCOPUS:1042276619
VL - 159
SP - 398
EP - 405
JO - American Journal of Epidemiology
JF - American Journal of Epidemiology
SN - 0002-9262
IS - 4
ER -