Water and Food disease

Harmful Algae (HABs)

produce toxins affecting wildlife and humans via contaminated water or shellfish.

Vibrio cholerae (Cholera)

waterborne bacterium causing severe, non-bloody diarrhea; can be fatal if untreated.

Vibrio vulnificus

freshwater/seafood bacterium causing wound infections and septicemia; high mortality in susceptible patients.

Giardia intestinalis

protozoan causing giardiasis; waterborne diarrhea, often cyst-mediated.

Cryptosporidium parvum

protozoan causing cryptosporidiosis; resistant cysts survive water treatment.

Legionella pneumophila

waterborne bacterium; causes respiratory disease, not diarrhea.

Salmonella typhi

water/foodborne bacterium; causes typhoid fever.

Norovirus

waterborne virus; causes acute gastroenteritis, highly contagious.

Hepatitis A virus

water/foodborne virus; infects liver causing mild to severe disease.

Entamoeba histolytica

protozoan causing amebic dysentery (bloody diarrhea).

Naegleria fowleri

free-living amoeba; infects brain via nasal route in warm freshwater; usually fatal.

Staphylococcus aureus

foodborne bacterium; produces heat-stable enterotoxins causing rapid-onset vomiting.

Clostridium perfringens

foodborne bacterium; spore-former causing diarrhea after improper food storage.

Clostridium botulinum

foodborne spore-former; toxin causes flaccid paralysis (botulism).

Salmonella spp.

foodborne bacterium causing diarrhea; includes typhoid-causing strains.

E. coli (verotoxin-producing)

foodborne bacterium; causes diarrhea and hemolytic-uremic syndrome.

Campylobacter jejuni

foodborne bacterium causing diarrhea and fever; commonly undercooked poultry.

Listeria monocytogenes

foodborne bacterium; psychrotolerant, can grow in refrigerated foods; dangerous in pregnancy.