CONTEXT Bottled water has become a status symbol and is frequently used in place of tap water. While both waters are considered safe to drink, is either more beneficial in preventing tooth decay and is there a difference in purity? OBJECTIVE To determine the fluoride level and bacterial content of commercially bottled waters municipal tap water and to compare the results. DESIGN Comparative...

Bangladesh is a cholera endemic country with a population at high risk of cholera. Toxigenic and non-toxigenic Vibrio cholerae (V. cholerae) can cause cholera and cholera-like diarrheal illness and outbreaks. Drinking water is one of the primary routes of cholera transmission in Bangladesh. The aim of this study was to conduct a comparative assessment of the presence of V. cholerae between poin...

Cryptosporidiosis and cyclosporiasis are caused by waterborne coccidian protozoan parasites of the genera Cryptosporidium and Cyclospora, respectively. This study was conducted to detect Cryptosporidium and Cyclospora oocysts from environmental water abstracted by drinking water treatment plants and recreational activities in Sarawak, Malaysia. Water samples (12 each) were collected from Sungai...

Pathogenic fungi of drinking water have potentially prevailing effects on human beings. Mycofloral study of drinking water of district Bhimber, Azad Kashmir was conducted through systematic sampling and temporally during the year 2009. Drinking water samples were collected from selected spots and fungal spores were grown on two different culture media viz: potato dextrose agar (PDA) and nutrien...

German water guidelines do not recommend routine assessment of cold water for Legionella in healthcare facilities, except if the water temperature at distal sites exceeds 25°C. This study evaluates Legionella contamination in cold and warm water supplies of healthcare facilities in Hesse, Germany, and analyses the relationship between cold water temperature and Legionella contamination. Samples...

Leptospira is an important re-emerging zoonotic human pathogen, disseminated by sick and carrier animals, water and soil. Weather calamities, such as flooding or cyclones favour the spreading of these bacteria. To check a potential role of natural water and soil in the persistence and spread of Leptospira on the territory of eastern Poland, 40 samples of natural water and 40 samples of soil wer...

BACKGROUND Bacteria in the hospital's drinking water system represent a risk for the acquisition of a nosocomial infection in the severely immunocompromised host. Terminal tap water filters may be used to prevent nosocomial Legionnaires' disease. We present data from water samples using an improved kind of tap water filters. METHODS In a blinded study on an intermediate care unit of the thora...

The most prevalent group A rotavirus found in the diarrheic children was also determined in drinking water sources including raw water, treated water and tap water in Beijing, and then the possible contamination contributions to tap water for human consumption were discussed in this study. A total of 26 raw water samples, 77 treated water samples and 143 tap water samples in Beijing were collec...

BACKGROUND A national multimedia campaign was launched in January 2010, to increase the proportion of young people tested for chlamydia. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of the campaign on the coverage and positivity within the National Chlamydia Screening Programme (NSCP) in England. METHOD An interrupted time series of anonymised NCSP testing reports for England for a 27 month period...