water-borne pathogen

water-borne pathogen

A pathogen, usually bacterial, that infects via contaminated water; WBPs cause gastroenteritis when ingested via the GI tract, or URIs, when the microorganisms are aerosolized, as in legionellosis; virulence of WBPs ranges widely. from enterotoxigenic E coli, Campylobacter jejuni, and nontyphoid Salmonella which are rarely fatal; others are highly virulent–eg, V cholerae–15% mortality, or Salmonella typhi or Shigella dysenteriae–5-10% mortality