An outbreak of Shigella sonnei associated with a recreational spray fountain

The quality of recreational fountain water is not routinely monitored. As a means of minimizing water costs, fountains in which the water runoff is collected, filtered, and reused have recently been introduced. In August 1997, the Boston Public Health Commission noted an increase in the number of reported Shigella cases among children from a single neighborhood. An investigation was initiated. 7 patients with laboratory-confirmed S sonnei all reported playing in a recreational spray fountain located in a neighborhood park during the week preceding the illness. No other common source of infection was identified. The outbreak was probably caused by ingestion of fecally contaminated water from a recreational spray fountain, the first report of bacterial gastroenteritis occurring after exposure to such a fountain. (Quotes from original text)