Viruses in groundwaters

There is no longer any question as to the presence of human enteroviruses in secondary sewage effluents. Sufficient data are available to indicate that viruses can and do percolate through the soil and move with the groundwater. Also, there is no question that a significant number of human illnesses of viral etiology have been associated with the consumption of untreated or chlorinated groundwater obtained from sewage contaminated wells. Although classical epidemiological investigative evidence linking groundwater with enterovirus disease transmission is not currently available, the alternative data presented in this report indicate that virus in groundwater is of sufficient significance to public health to warrant increased viral surveillance of groundwater. Concurrently, efforts should be directed toward increasing enterovirus disease surveillance and reporting to facilitate the earliest possible recognition of an outbreak and the initiation of an epidemiological investigation. Only under these conditions will the magnitude of the significance of viruses in groundwater be elicited.