Drinking Water-associated Outbreak Response Toolkit

The following information is intended to help state and local health departments respond to outbreaks associated with diseases related to drinking water. While some downloadable documents below are cryptosporidiosis-specific, they can also be used as models when creating similar documents for other pathogens. Likewise, though this page was produced by CDC's Division of Parasitic Diseases, some of the information below can be used or adapted for use in non-parasitic drinking water-related outbreaks. All documents can be downloaded and altered as needed.

• Helpful Tips for Drinking Water Outbreak Response
• Generic Cryptosporidiosis Outbreak Case and Control Questionnaires [PDF - 29 kb] (this is an excerpt from Cryptosporidium and Water: A Public Health Handbook [PDF - 1.12 mb])
• FREE Epi Info™ software. With Epi Info™ and a personal computer, epidemiologists and other public health and medical professionals can rapidly develop a questionnaire or form, customize the data entry process, and enter and analyze data.
• Waterborne Disease and Outbreak Report Form - CDC 52.12
• Sample line list to keep track of drinking water-related disease outbreak cases. Please use legal (8.5" x 14") size paper for printing.
  • Sample Outbreak Case Tracking Line List - Word [Word - 54 kb]
  • Sample Outbreak Case Tracking Line List - Excel [Excel - 14 kb]
• DPDx. The goal of DPDx is to use the internet to strengthen diagnosis of parasitic diseases, both in the United States and abroad. Users can browse through concise reviews of parasites and parasitic diseases, including an image library and a review of recommended procedures for collecting, shipping, processing, and examining biologic specimens.

For more information on waterborne disease outbreak response, please visit the CDC Healthy Water's Water-related Outbreak Response Toolkits and Resources page.