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Jennifer Denise Roberts, MPH, DrPH, Environmental Health Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe Street, Room W4106, Baltimore, MD 21205, 410-955-8678, jroberts@nas.edu, Ellen Silbergeld, PhD, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Room 6010, 615 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205, and Thaddeus Graczyk, PhD, Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe Street, Room E5143, Baltimore, MD 21205.
Urban fishing, the practice of fishing in urban waterways for recreational or subsistence purposes, is an under-recognized environmental health issue. In urban areas, the environmental factors that are especially troublesome are due to exposure from microbiological contaminants, such as Cryptosporidium. This study examines the risk of exposure to Cryptosporidium based on fish and hand samples taken from urban anglers. Information regarding fishing frequency and consumption were also collected through an interview questionnaire to examine this risk. Based on the hand samples and the information provided from the urban angler questionnaire, it was determined that the probability of infection using the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s dose-response model for Cryptosporidium, could be as high as one indicating that infection would occur, if proper hand washing did not occur. Even with the most conservative estimates the probability of infection based on the fish and hand samples was 0.22 and 0.41, respectively using a Monte Carlo analysis. Unfortunately, many of the anglers interviewed during this research were unaware of this risk because the current Maryland fish consumption advisories provide no information in regard to exposure to Cryptosporidium or any microbiological contaminant. This research provides enormous implications for the necessary changes and improvements that need to be made in order to improve and adequately inform the anglers of these potential health risks. Furthermore, this research embarks on a new frontier of research that not only Maryland can benefit from, but other states who share similar problems with microbiological contamination of their urban watersheds.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Environmental Exposures, Environmental Health
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.