A Quantitative Risk Assessment of VerotoxigenicE. coli(VTEC) in Private Groundwater Sources in the Republic of Ireland

Based on the sampling of 262 private domestic wells in Ireland, mainly located in High/Extreme vulnerability areas, a quantitative model was developed for prediction of gastrointestinal infection risk attributable to verotoxigenic E. coli (VTEC) contamination of private wells in Ireland. Models are based on maximum likelihoods and predict an overall crude incidence rate of 28.3/100,000 well users per annum; approximately 5-6 times higher than...