Wells and Enteric Disease Transmission

Launched by TEMPLE UNIVERSITY · Mar 29, 2021

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial, called Wells and Enteric Disease Transmission, is studying the health effects of drinking water from untreated private wells. Many families in the U.S. rely on these wells, and it's believed that they may cause a significant number of gastrointestinal (GI) illnesses, especially in young children. The trial aims to find out if treating well water with ultraviolet (UV) light can reduce the number of GI infections in children under 5 years old compared to using a device that does not actually treat the water. Researchers will also check for harmful germs in both the well water and the children's stool samples.

To participate, families must live in certain counties in Pennsylvania, have a child under 5 who drinks untreated well water, and have a phone that can send texts. Children with weakened immune systems or specific health conditions, as well as those who drink only bottled water, cannot join. Participants will have the chance to help uncover important information about the safety of drinking water from private wells, which often don’t have the same regulations as city water supplies.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Child resides in Adams, Berks, Bucks, Carbon, Chester, Columbia, Cumberland, Dauphin, Delaware, Lackawanna, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lehigh, Luzerne, Monroe, Montgomery, Montour, Northumberland, Northampton, Perry, Pike, Schuylkill, Wayne, Wyoming, and York county in Pennsylvania and all counties in New Jersey.
• • Household is served by a private well
• • Participant child is under the age of 5 (under 4 at time of enrollment), who is a full-time resident of the home and drinks untreated well water
• • Parent/guardian has access to a phone with texting capabilities
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Child participant is immunocompromised
• • Child participant has a chronic gastrointestinal condition
• • Child takes daily oral steroids
• • Household treats water for microbiological contamination before consumption
• • Child exclusively drinks bottled water