Clearly that the popular ``natural spring water'' was actually a source of diarrhea outbreaks due to mere drainage
In 2022, 19 people who drank raw water, which is popular as ``natural spring water,'' developed diarrhea in the state of Montana, USA. A survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States revealed that the source of the 'spring water' was actually the drainage facility of the creek and was covered with pathogens.
Notes From the Field: Campylobacteriosis Outbreak Associated with Consumption of Raw Water — Montana, 2022 | MMWR
Trendy “raw water” source under bird's nest sparks diarrheal outbreak | Ars Technica
https://arstechnica.com/science/2023/04/trendy-raw-water-source-under-birds-nest-sparks-diarrheal-outbreak/
According to the CDC, drinking 'tap water' (untreated, unfiltered water collected directly from a freshwater source) such as spring water has become fashionable in the United States for several years. It seems that the reason for the epidemic is ``because it has health benefits,'' but it seems that no clear evidence has been presented.
According to overseas media Ars Technica, people who believe that raw water is good for their health say that sewage-treated water contains disinfectants, fluoride, mind control drugs , medicines, heavy metals (such as lead), etc. It seems that they claim that raw water does not contain these. Proponents also claim that tap water contains unique probiotics and natural minerals that can improve health.
However, the 'natural spring water' that caused the diarrhea outbreak in Montana contained large amounts ofCampylobacter jejuni . Campylobacter jejuni is a pathogen that can be spread from birds and other animals and causes bloody diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea and vomiting.
In May 2022, health officials in northwestern Sanders County, Montana, reported six cases of Campylobacter to state officials, and a full-scale investigation started from here. Since the average annual number of Campylobacter cases is only 5, 6 cases were considered an anomaly. All these cases were caused by drinking 'spring water from the same source'.
However, research revealed that what was described as 'spring water' was water from a drainage system built in the early 1990s to prevent streams from eroding the trackbed of nearby railroad tracks. became clear. Below is the drainage system, where water flows out of the concrete structure. People believed that this was 'natural spring water'.
When the authorities investigated this concrete structure, they found a bird's nest that could be a source of Campylobacter infection nearby. Furthermore, as a result of investigating water quality, Campylobacter can be found even in water. In addition, when the health authorities examined the genome sequences of the bacteria in the contaminated water and the bacteria in the bodies of people with diarrhea, it was also revealed that they were almost identical.
Signs were then placed around the concrete structure indicating that the water was not safe to drink, but six weeks after the initial case report, 13 more cases occurred. Along with this, the Montana Department of Transportation seems to have dealt with preventing water from flowing into the concrete structure by damming the water of the stream. Since then, no cases of diarrhea attributed to this source have been reported.
'Anyone who drinks water from an outdoor source, such as a river, should treat the water before drinking,' the CDC said. It also reduces the risk of illness when using outdoor water sources as drinking water, ”he said, calling attention to tap water.
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