Wells and Enteric Disease Transmission Trial (WET - Trial)

Temple University28 enrolled

Overview

Approximately 40 million people in the US are served by private wells, many of which are untreated. The investigators estimate that 1.29 million cases of gastrointestinal illness (GI) per year are attributed to consuming water from untreated private wells in the US. These cases of GI can cause a significant burden in terms of health care costs and lost work/school days, as well as increased risk to developing longer term health complications. This impact is magnified when accounting for vulnerable populations such as children under the age of 5, the elderly and the immunocompromised. The investigators are preparing to conduct the first household randomized controlled trial (RCT) to investigate whether consuming well water treated by ultraviolet light (UV) compared to consuming untreated private well water decreases the incidence of self-reported gastrointestinal illness and respiratory infections in children under 5. The investigators will collect illness symptom data using a combination of weekly text messages and online illness questionnaires.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

TRIPLE

Enrollment

Conditions

Gastrointestinal Infection Respiratory Viral Infection

Interventions

Active household UV water treatment deviceDEVICE

This point-of-entry treatment device will use germicidal UV to treat all of the well water used in the home.

Inactive household UV water treatment deviceDEVICE

This sham device will use a lamp not emitting germicidal UV.

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 6 MonthsMax age: 59 MonthsHealthy volunteers:

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * Child resides in Berks, Bucks, Chester, Lancaster, Lehigh, or Montgomery County in Pennsylvania * 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 (75% or more of water consumption must be from 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 before consumption (with the exception of water softeners)

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Incident gastrointestinal illness

The investigators will collect data on the presence of gastrointestinal illness symptoms through weekly text messages. Households that report symptoms through text messages will be directed to an online illness questionnaire to characterize the symptoms (incidence, severity, duration, diarrhea, vomiting, coughing, etc.), febrile episodes, as well as relevant exposure information such as recent travel, exposure to ill persons, etc. Incident gastrointestinal illness (GI) is defined by the reporting of a minimum of three episodes of diarrhea or vomiting in a 24 hour period. Each illness will be considered distinct when separated by ≥ 6 symptom-free days.

Time frame: 12 months