Identification of primary sources of faecal pollution

Waterborne pathogens from faecal pollution continue to be major contributors to outbreaks of infectious disease in many areas around the world. While developed countries have made much progress in municipal wastewater treatment and management of agricultural wastes, faecal contamination of source waters for drinking, recreation and rearing of shellfish still contributes to outbreaks of infectious disease. The burden of gastrointestinal disease in developing countries, much of which is waterborne, is already enormous and estimated at greater than 26 billion cases per year (Payment and Riley 2002). It is anticipated that emerging waterborne pathogens, many of faecal origin, will likely pose additional challenges in the future (WHO 2003; WHO 2004). It is vitally important for managers of shellfish programs to understand the primary sources of faecal pollution in shellfish waters so that a pollution prevention