Drinking Water Access, Contamination, and Risk of Enteric Disease in Rural Appalachia

The risk of adverse health outcomes, including enteric infections and diarrhea, due to exposure to contaminated drinking water sources among low-income households situated in economically distressed rural counties in rural Appalachia likely represents a greater threat to public health than is currently recognized. Our small-scale cohort and ethnographic study will help build a multidisciplinary understanding of water access, contamination, risk of enteric disease, and key sociocultural determinants to address the challenges associated with limited water access in this region. The work will generate key preliminary data. The GIDI Collaborative Seed grant will support the pilot fieldwork, specifically funding training opportunities, the inclusion of novel laboratory methods, and the ethnographic component.