THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN MORBIDITY AMONG BATHERS AND MICROBIAL QUALITY OF SEAWATER

During the summer of 1983, a prospective epidemiological study was carried out at three coastal beaches in the area of Tel-Aviv, Israel, in order to investigate the effect of marine pollution on morbidity among bathers. A total of 615 families comprising 2,231 persons, 23% of them aged 0-4 years, were interviewed for this study. Analysis of the results indicated that symptoms of enteric morbidity among swimmers, particularly in the 0-4 year old age group, were related to 'high' density levels of enterococci, E. coli and staphylococci. Also, swimmers had more morbidity symptoms of all types ('enteric', 'respiratory' and 'others') than nonswimmers, regardless of the microbial quality of seawater.