TRACE College

El Danda St. Batong Malake Los Baños, Laguna

1st Term, A.Y 2019-2020

RISK MANAGEMENT AS APPLIED TO SAFETY, SECURITY, AND

SANITATION

Project:

Case Study: Outbreak of Giardiasis in New Mexico, 1989

Submitted by:

Castro, John Alfred

1- B.S Hospitality Management

Submitted to:

Ms. Eden A. Camacho

November 2019
Executive Summary
This case study is all about the Outbreak of Giardiasis in New Mexico in

1989. The study would answer the following questions, (1) what brought the

incident or outbreak, (2) how it was controlled, (3) what were the remedial actions

taken in preventing their occurrence.

The research mainly wants the readers to know the importance of having

safe and potable water, and to inform the readers what are the qualities we

should look in our water supply.

The researcher found out that the contamination was not caused by the

consumption of water but the food that the victims ingested. The victims were

diagnosed with giardiasis which is a diarrheal disease caused by the

microsopical parasite giardia.

The researcher suggests the future food and hospitality practitioners to

strengthen their water and waste management to obviate these kinds of diseases

and outbreaks.

Introduction
Giardiasis is a diarrheal disease caused by the

microscopic parasite Giardia. A parasite is an organism that

feeds off of another to survive. Once a person or animal (for

example, cats, dogs, cattle, deer, and beavers) has been

infected with Giardia, the parasite lives in the intestines and is

passed in feces (poop). Once outside the body, Giardia can sometimes survive

for weeks or months. Giardia can be found within every region of the U.S. and

around the world. The disease could be spread by anything that comes into

contact with feces (poop) from infected humans or animals can become

contaminated with the Giardia parasite. Having Contact with someone who is ill

with Giardiasis. People become infected when they swallow the parasite. It is not

possible to become infected through contact with blood.

The Infection can cause a variety of intestinal symptoms and these

symptoms may also lead to weight loss. But on some cases, Giardiasis has no

symptoms at all. The symptoms usually begin normally 1 to 3 weeks after

becoming infected. Anyone can be infected with Giardiasis, animals; children

even healthy adults, as long as you ingested the parasite.

Body
According to the website of cdc.gov, the foods served at the dinner on

March 2 included tacos (with meat, onions, tomatoes, lettuce, cheese, salsa,

sour cream, and tortillas), corn, peaches, cupcakes, soft drinks, coffee, and tea.

The lettuce and tomatoes were rinsed at the kitchen's main sink; the outer leaves

of the lettuce were removed; and the lettuce, tomatoes, and onions were

chopped on the same cutting board, which was not washed between items. The

dinner was prepared by eight women whose children were in the youth group; all

ate the meal. Although the woman who prepared the lettuce and tomatoes taught

preschool and had a child in preschool, neither she nor her child was ill when the

meal was prepared.

 None of the eight food preparers

reported symptoms at the time of meal

preparation; however, five became ill with

diarrhea after March 8. Persons who

became ill were more likely to have

reported eating lettuce, salsa, onions, or tomatoes or drinking tea/coffee. Water

consumption was not associated with illness. The statement clearly states that

the outbreak was caused by the contamination of the lettuce and tomato which

was rinsed in the kitchen’s main sink.

The 21 infected people who had eaten the dinner, the most frequent

symptoms reported were fatigue (95%), diarrhea (91%), abdominal cramps

(57%), bloating (57%), and weight loss (67%).

The Website also expounded that the church is on the municipal water

system. A survey of possible connections between the church's potable water

system and the sanitary sewer system identified five potential cross-connections.

However, water samples taken at the time of the cross-connection survey had

adequate chlorine levels and were negative for coli form bacteria. Nonetheless,

On April 4, after the investigation began, the church stopped using municipal

water for consumption and began catering meals. After elimination of all cross-

connections, every outlet was flushed simultaneously for 3 hours. According to

the Albuquerque Environmental Health Department and the New Mexico Health

and Environment Department, the people who investigates the outbreak, said

that no new cases occurred after the remediation measures were completed.
 As a Consumer, we have the right to utilize safe and

clean potable water. And according to the website of water

education foundation, that Potable water, also known as

drinking water, comes from surface and ground sources and is

treated to levels that that meet state and federal standards for

consumption. Meaning water is considered potable if it passes the region or

country’s standards.

According to the website of Department of Health (2017), to ensure the

safety of drinking water, there are seven guidelines that must be followed. These

include: measuring the quality; water sampling and examination; other modes of

distribution of drinking-water; evaluation of results; classification of quality

parameters; quality assurance/quality control for water laboratories; and water

safety plan (WSP) and quality surveillance.

As someone immersed in the Hospitality Industry, the industry uses a

huge amount of water. In many foods, water is a major ingredient. In addition,

water is used for cooking ingredients, such as vegetables and for cooling cooked

foods. Water also plays a major role in cleaning both for preparing the

appropriate dilutions of detergents, sanitizers, and disinfectants, and also for

rinsing off the cleaning chemicals. So we must have safe and potable water.

To achieve this, there must be stringent water management throughout

the food premises and this requires close monitoring. Ensuring and maintaining

the quality of water and preventing its contamination at source and throughout its

use are of paramount importance.

A potable water system shall be

flushed and disinfected before being placed

in service after construction, repair or

modification, and after an emergency

situation (such as a flood) that may introduce contaminants to the system. Water

is a potential vehicle for the direct transmission of disease and continues to

cause significant outbreaks of disease in both developed and developing

countries. Water is just one route by which foods can be contaminated with

pathogenic micro-organisms, foreign bodies or toxic chemicals.

Conclusion
Potable water is a critical factor to food establishment. Due to the alarming

rate of diseases found in water, establishments, particularly industry that uses a

lot of water must intensify their water management systems.

The outbreak in New Mexico was caused by the cross contamination of

the sewer water and the main water supply of the restaurant. And the incident

was investigated by the Albuquerque Environmental Health Department and the

New Mexico Health and Environment Department, whom helps in preventing the

incident to continue.

This study is vital specially to people in the Hospitality industry, because

mainly we are obligated to provide secured and safe service to everyone

regardless of age, status, and nationality. The outbreak must be a lesson to all

industry that uses water. We must maintain the water to be safe for consumption

and usage at all times.

References
MMWR (1989), “Epidemiologic Notes and Reports Common-Source
Outbreak of Giardiasis -- New Mexico” Retrieved from
https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00001406.html

CDC (2015), “Parasites, Giardia”, Retrieved from

https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/giardia/general-info.html

Water Education Foundation (2019), “Potable Water”, Retrieved From

https://www.watereducation.org/aquapedia-background/potable-water

The Society of Food Hygiene and Technology (2014), “Water in the Food
Industry”, Retrieved From http://www.sofht.co.uk/wp-
content/uploads/2016/hifs/water-in-the-food-industry/HIF_wastemanagement.pdf

Department of Health-Vermont (2003), “Health Regulations for Food

service Establishments”, Retrieved From
https://www.healthvermont.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2016/12/REG_food-
service-establishments.pdf

Department of Health (2017), “DOH LAUNCHES PHILIPPINE NATIONAL

STANDARDS FOR DRINKING WATER OF 2017” Retrieved From
https://www.doh.gov.ph/node/12121