Vibrio cholerae |
Bacterium |
Bacteria |
Fecal-oral |
Diarrhea, dehydration |
Stool culture |
Rehydration, antibiotics |
Global, endemic in some regions |
Naegleria fowleri |
Protozoan |
Amoeba |
Freshwater exposure |
Primary amoebic meningoencephalitis |
CSF analysis |
Amphotericin B, miltefosine |
Worldwide, freshwater bodies |
Cryptosporidium parvum |
Protozoan |
Apicomplexan |
Fecal-oral |
Diarrhea, abdominal cramps |
Stool examination |
Supportive treatment |
Worldwide, especially in developing countries |
Giardia lamblia |
Protozoan |
Flagellate |
Fecal-oral |
Diarrhea, nausea |
Stool examination |
Metronidazole, tinidazole |
Worldwidely distributed, water sources |
Legionella pneumophila |
Bacterium |
Bacteria |
Inhalation of aerosols |
Legionnaires' disease |
Sputum culture |
Antibiotics, supportive care |
Worldwide, often in water systems |
Escherichia coli O157:H7 |
Bacterium |
Bacteria |
Fecal-oral |
Severe diarrhea, kidney failure |
Stool culture |
Supportive care, dialysis for kidney failure |
Worldwide, food and waterborne outbreaks |
Acanthamoeba castellanii |
Protozoan |
Amoeba |
Contact with contaminated water |
Acanthamoeba keratitis |
Corneal scraping |
Antimicrobial therapy |
Worldwide, freshwater lakes |
Shigella sonnei |
Bacterium |
Bacteria |
Fecal-oral |
Diarrhea, abdominal pain |
Stool culture |
Antibiotics, hydration |
Global, common in areas of poor sanitation |
Salmonella enterica |
Bacterium |
Bacteria |
Fecal-oral |
Diarrhea, fever |
Stool culture |
Fluids, antibiotics in severe cases |
Global, food and waterborne |
Clostridium botulinum |
Bacterium |
Bacteria |
Ingestion of toxins |
Botulism |
Clinical diagnosis, toxin detection |
Antitoxin, supportive care |
Global, foodborne contamination |
Vibrio parahaemolyticus |
Bacterium |
Bacteria |
Consumption of contaminated seafood |
Gastroenteritis |
Stool culture |
Supportive management |
Coastal areas, worldwide |
Vibrio vulnificus |
Bacterium |
Bacteria |
Wound infections, ingestion of raw seafood |
Skin lesions, gastroenteritis |
Culture of wound or stool |
Antibiotics, supportive care |
Coastal areas, warm seawater |
Plasmodium spp. |
Protozoan |
Apicomplexan |
Mosquito bites (not aquatic but often water-related) |
Malaria |
Blood smear, rapid tests |
Antimalarials |
Tropical and subtropical regions |
Calymmatobacterium granulomatis |
Bacterium |
Bacteria |
Sexual contact (affinity for water-related habitats) |
Granuloma inguinale |
Serological tests, biopsy |
Antibiotics |
Tropical regions |
Microcystis aeruginosa |
Cyanobacteria |
Toxin-producing |
Water contact |
Hepatotoxicosis |
Toxin analysis |
Supportive care |
Worldwide in freshwater |
Schistosoma mansoni |
Trematode |
Parasite |
Skin contact with contaminated water |
Schistosomiasis |
Serology, stool examination |
Praziquantel |
Tropical, subtropical regions |
Staphylococcus aureus |
Bacterium |
Bacteria |
Wound contamination, skin contact with water |
Skin infections, pneumonia |
Culture, sensitivity testing |
Antibiotics based on sensitivity |
Worldwide, in various environments |
Campylobacter jejuni |
Bacterium |
Bacteria |
Fecal-oral, contaminated water |
Diarrhea, fever |
Stool culture |
Fluids, antibiotics in severe cases |
Worldwide, food and waterborne |
Bacillus cereus |
Bacterium |
Bacteria |
Foodborne, diarrhea from contaminated water |
Diarrhea, vomiting |
Stool culture |
Supportive care |
Worldwide, common in food products |
Parasite spp. (various species) |
Protozoan |
Parasite |
Water consumption |
Varied symptoms depending on species |
Stool examination |
Antimicrobials or antiparasitics |
Global |
Clonorchis sinensis |
Trematode |
Parasite |
Ingestion of contaminated fish |
Clonorchiasis |
Stool examination, serology |
Praziquantel |
Southeast Asia, China |
Fasciola hepatica |
Trematode |
Parasite |
Ingestion of contaminated water plants |
Fascioliasis |
Stool examination, serology |
Triclabendazole |
Worldwide, endemic in agricultural areas |
Neorickettsia sennetsu |
Bacterium |
Bacteria |
Ingestion of infected water or fish |
Sennetsu fever |
Serology |
Doxycycline |
Southeast Asia, Japan |
Chlamydia psittaci |
Bacterium |
Bacteria |
Inhalation or water exposure (indirect) |
Psittacosis |
Serology, culture |
Doxycycline, azithromycin |
Worldwide, in environments with birds |
Clostridium perfringens |
Bacterium |
Bacteria |
Foodborne, contaminated water |
Gastroenteritis, food poisoning |
Stool culture |
Supportive treatment |
Global, commonly associated with meats |
Norovirus |
Virus |
Virus |
Fecal-oral, contaminated water |
Gastroenteritis |
Stool assay |
Supportive care |
Worldwide, food and waterborne outbreaks |
Yersinia enterocolitica |
Bacterium |
Bacteria |
Fecal-oral, contaminated water |
Yersiniosis |
Stool culture |
Antibiotics for severe cases |
Worldwide, food and waterborne outbreaks |
Leptospira interrogans |
Bacterium |
Bacteria |
Contact with contaminated water |
Leptospirosis |
Serology, PCR |
Doxycycline, supportive treatment |
Worldwide, in areas with rodents |
Helminths (various species) |
Parasite |
Worms |
Ingestion of contaminated water |
Varied symptoms depending on species |
Stool examination |
Antiparasitic treatment |
Global, especially in areas with poor sanitation |
Naegleria spp. |
Protozoan |
Amoeba |
Contact with freshwater |
Primary amoebic meningoencephalitis |
CSF analysis |
Amphotericin B |
Worldwide, freshwater hotspots |
Escherichia coli (non-O157) |
Bacterium |
Bacteria |
Fecal-oral |
Gastroenteritis |
Stool culture |
Supportive care |
Worldwide, food and waterborne outbreaks |
Aeromonas hydrophila |
Bacterium |
Bacteria |
Contact with contaminated water |
Gastroenteritis, skin infections |
Culture of stool or wound |
Fluids, antibiotics for severe infections |
Worldwide, in freshwater bodies |
Pseudomonas aeruginosa |
Bacterium |
Bacteria |
Infection through water contact |
Infections in immunocompromised |
Culture of infected area |
Antibiotics based on sensitivity |
Worldwide, particularly in watery environments |
Salmonella typhi |
Bacterium |
Bacteria |
Fecal-oral, contaminated water |
Typhoid fever |
Blood cultures, stool cultures |
Antibiotics |
Global, endemic in some regions |
Trichinella spiralis |
Helminth |
Parasite |
Ingestion of undercooked fish or meat |
Trichinosis |
Biopsy, serology |
Supportive care, antiparasitics |
Global, depending on meat consumption |
Cholera toxin-producing E. coli |
Bacterium |
Bacteria |
Fecal-oral |
Diarrhea, dehydration |
Stool culture |
Rehydration, antibiotics |
Global, especially in areas with cholera outbreaks |
Bacillus anthracis |
Bacterium |
Bacteria |
Water or soil exposure (indirect) |
Anthrax |
Blood culture, toxin detection |
Antibiotics, antitoxin |
Worldwide, particularly in livestock areas |
Helminthic group (various species) |
Helminth |
Worms |
Water ingestion |
Varied depending on species |
Stool examination |
Antiparasitic medications |
Global, common in developing countries |
Bolbophorus confusus |
Trematode |
Parasite |
Ingestion of contaminated fish |
Fish disease transmission potential |
Stool examination |
Supportive and antiparasitic |
Wetland areas of the US |
Enterococci (various species) |
Bacterium |
Bacteria |
Contaminated water |
Wounds, urinary infections |
Culture |
Antibiotic therapy |
Worldwide, especially in human activity areas |
Aliivibrio fischeri |
Bacterium |
Bacteria |
Contact with seawater |
Skin infections, gastrointestinal illness |
Culture |
Antibiotics if severe |
Worldwide, marine habitats |
Neisseria meningitidis |
Bacterium |
Bacteria |
Contact with contaminated water aerosols |
Meningitis |
Blood culture; lumbar puncture |
Ceftriaxone, prophylaxis |
Worldwide, particularly in crowded areas |
Vibrio fluvialis |
Bacterium |
Bacteria |
Fecal-oral, typically through water |
Diarrhea, gastroenteritis |
Stool culture |
Rehydration, antibiotics if severe |
Coastal areas of tropical regions |
Trichuris trichiura |
Helminth |
Parasite |
Fecal-oral, contaminated water |
Trichuriasis |
Stool examination |
Antiparasitic treatment |
Tropical and subtropical regions |
Plasmodium vivax |
Protozoan |
Apicomplexan |
Mosquito bites, water bodies |
Malaria |
Blood smear, rapid tests |
Antimalarials |
Tropical regions |
Polyomavirus |
Virus |
Virus |
Water exposure (rare) |
Renal disease potential |
PCR, serology |
Targeted therapy for symptoms |
Global, often in immunocompromised |
Neisseria gonorrhoeae |
Bacterium |
Bacteria |
Sexual contact, water sources (possible) |
Gonorrhea |
Culture |
Antibiotics |
Worldwide, in sexually active populations |
Mycobacterium marinum |
Bacterium |
Bacteria |
Contact with freshwater or marine environments |
Fish tank granuloma |
Culture of lesion |
Antibiotics |
Global, in aquaria or natural waters |
Campylobacter coli |
Bacterium |
Bacteria |
Contaminated water |
Diarrhea, fever |
Stool culture |
Supportive management, antibiotics |
Global, in contaminated food and water |
Schistosoma japonicum |
Trematode |
Parasite |
Skin contact with contaminated water |
Schistosomiasis |
Stool examination, serology |
Praziquantel |
Southeast Asia, in freshwater sources |
Neorickettsia helminthoeca |
Bacterium |
Bacteria |
Ingestion of infected fish |
Salmon poisoning |
Serological tests, clinical signs |
Antibiotics |
Pacific Northwest US, affects canids |
Phytophthora spp. |
Oomycete |
Water mold |
Infection of aquatic plants |
Plant diseases |
Visual inspection, lab tests |
Fungicides for crops |
Global, affects aquatic and agricultural environments |
Babesia microti |
Protozoan |
Apicomplexan |
Tick bites, possibly water-related exposure |
Babesiosis |
Blood smear, serology |
Antimalarials, supportive care |
Northeastern US, rates increasing |
Mycobacterium chelonae |
Bacterium |
Bacteria |
Infection from water sources |
Skin infections, pulmonary disease |
Culture |
Antibiotic therapy |
Global, particularly in aquatic habitats |
Sarcocystis spp. |
Protozoan |
Parasite |
Ingestion of contaminated undercooked meat or fish |
Sarcocystosis |
Muscle biopsy |
Supportive treatment |
Global, foodborne potential |
Toxoplasma gondii |
Protozoan |
Apicomplexan |
Contact with contaminated water or soil |
Toxoplasmosis |
Serological tests |
Supportive care |
Worldwide, especially in felines |
Ascitic fluid bacteria (various species) |
Bacterium |
Bacteria |
Infection via aquatic environments |
Peritonitis, abdominal pain |
Culture of fluid |
Antibiotics |
Global, especially in ascitic patients |
Enterobius vermicularis |
Helminth |
Parasite |
Airborne, water ingestion possible |
Enterobiasis |
Tape test, stool exam |
Antiparasitic treatment |
Global, commonly affects children |
Petroleum-associated marine bacteria |
Bacterium |
Bacteria |
Water exposure from contaminated sites |
Varied infections |
Culture of clinical samples |
Antibiotics for specific infections |
Areas affected by oil spills |
Clostridium difficile |
Bacterium |
Bacteria |
Fecal-oral, contaminated water |
Antibiotic-associated diarrhea |
Stool assay |
Antibiotics, supportive care |
Worldwide, prevalent in healthcare settings |
Brucella spp. |
Bacterium |
Bacteria |
Ingestion of contaminated water or unpasteurized dairy |
Brucellosis |
Blood cultures |
Antibiotics (doxycycline, rifampin) |
Worldwide, particularly in livestock areas |
Streptococcus pneumoniae |
Bacterium |
Bacteria |
Waterborne aerosols possible |
Pneumonia, meningitis |
Culture of sputum or CSF |
Antibiotics |
Worldwide, including aquatic birds |
Rotavirus |
Virus |
Virus |
Fecal-oral, contaminated water |
Gastroenteritis |
Stool assay |
Supportive care |
Global, common in children |
Vibrio cholerae non-O1, non-O139 |
Bacterium |
Bacteria |
Wound infections, consumption of contaminated seafood |
Gastroenteritis |
Stool culture |
Supportive treatment |
Tropical and subtropical regions |
Stenotrophomonas maltophilia |
Bacterium |
Bacteria |
Water exposure in healthcare settings |
Pneumonia, wound infections |
Culture of infected sites |
Antibiotics based on sensitivity |
Worldwide, particularly in healthcare settings |
Helminthic group (various species) |
Helminth |
Worms |
Ingestion of contaminated water |
Varied symptoms |
Stool examination |
Antiparasitic medications |
Global, common in developing countries |
Tropheryma whipplei |
Bacterium |
Bacteria |
Possible waterborne transmission |
Whipple's disease |
Biopsy, PCR |
Antibiotics |
Global, rare but serious |