Florida’s Water and Disease: What are the Risks?

When it comes to Florida’s water, there’s more to it than meets the eye. Despite the beauty of the state’s resources, these watery playgrounds are home to a number of infectious pathogens and toxins that can be harmful to humans, animals and the environment.

UNF Team Analyzes Water Pathogen Circulation 

What are the risks? How many of these pathogens and toxins are present in our waterways? To answer those questions, Dr. Amber Barnes, assistant professor of public health, and a team of 11 student volunteers conducted the first large-scale analysis on water pathogen circulation among Florida residents, animals and environmental reservoirs. The team used what Barnes refers to as a One Health approach, which is a holistic strategy that recognizes the interconnection between the health of humans, animals and their shared environment.

“We can’t look at human health without considering the health of the environment and the health of our animals, too,” Barnes said. “We certainly want everyone to enjoy our Florida waterways, but also to do their part to protect them-selves, loved ones and the integrity of the environmental space and the animals that share that space. If we contamin-ate the environment, we contaminate humans and animals as well.” To look at all three areas, the researchers worked in groups and examined the incidence of water-related disease over the past 20 years. Here are their findings.

Human Disease

One group examined data on human disease and discovered that between 1999 and 2019 the Florida Department of Health confirmed roughly 218,000 cases of water-related disease, or an average of about 10,900 per year. Roughly 98% of those cases were due to waterborne disease, with 50% caused by Salmonella bacteria.

Animal Disease

A second group studied water-related diseases in animals by exploring journal articles on animal studies, which generally involved marine and aquatic animals but also included reptile and bird species, livestock, poultry and companion animals. The most frequently detected pathogens and toxins overall included the algae species Karenia brevis, linked to red tide, as well as E. coli and Salmonella bacteria.

Environmental Issues

The third group focused on diseases found in the environment as determined by water samples tested over time and found that E. coli bacteria topped the list, followed by the algae Karenia brevis and Salmonella bacteria.

Barnes believes the information the team compiled can provide guidance to all residents as well as people at greater risk of infection or severe illness. “We don’t want to discourage people from enjoying Florida’s waters, yet there are risks associated as well as some strategies you can consider,” Barnes said. “And through our understanding about how these pathogens and aquatic toxins operate, we know that certain groups of people are at either a higher risk of exposure or disease severity.”

These high-risk groups include adults over the age of 65, children under the age of five, people with open wounds, and anyone who may be immunocompromised such as cancer patients, individuals living with HIV/AIDS, or pregnant women. In addition, Barnes said everyone should avoid swimming after a rainstorm or flood due to the high chance of fecal waste runoff, and steer clear of cloudy water, areas with scum or algae mats and water bodies that are experiencing harmful algae bloom.

Master of Public Health graduate student and UNF employee Kelly Rhoden, who led the study of human diseases, said she was grateful for the opportunity to be involved in the research. “I learned how interconnected water is to the health of a community,” Rhoden said. “Hopefully, our work will allow others to conduct further research in this area to eventually promote change in policy and healthcare when it comes to the public and waterborne diseases.”

Meg Jenkins, another MPH student, led the team examining animal health. She called the experience transformative, providing her with valuable research, writing and presentation skills that will serve her well as she moves into a public health career. Learning about the risks also made her aware that people need more information.

“We recommended more public health education on water toxins, especially in tourism and commerce, for water recreation activities,” Jenkins said. “We also advocated for a statewide One Health approach to support interdisciplinary work toward protecting our animals and waterways.”