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Laboratory for Infectious Disease and the Environment

Our new fact sheet is here!

Cover of USGS Fact Sheet 2018-3079

Learn about the Laboratory for Infectious Disease and the Environment (LIDE).

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LIDE capabilities

Photo of a LIDE scientist preparing a sample for qPCR analysis

Molecular and culture analysis methods are paired with sampling capabilities across environmental matrices to address a wide range of questions and problems.

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News

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Launch of Northeast Wisconsin Well Water Advisory Forecast Study

Publications

Microbial source tracking and land use associations for antibiotic resistance genes in private wells influenced by human and livestock fecal sources

Antimicrobial resistance is a growing public health problem that requires an integrated approach among human, agricultural, and environmental sectors. However, few studies address all three components simultaneously. We investigated the occurrence of five antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and the class 1 integron gene (intI1) in private wells drawing water from a vulnerable aquifer influenced by
Authors
Tucker R. Burch, Joel P. Stokdyk, Aaron Firnstahl, Burney Kieke Jr, Rachel Cook, Sarah Opelt, Sue Spencer, Lisa Durso, Mark A. Borchardt
By
Upper Midwest Water Science Center, Laboratory for Infectious Disease and the Environment

Assessing private well contamination in Grant, Iowa, and Lafayette Counties, Wisconsin: The southwest Wisconsin groundwater and geology study

Rural residents of Grant, Iowa, and Lafayette Counties in Wisconsin rely on private wells for their water. Contaminants like nitrate and bacteria from septic systems, fertilizer, and manure can contaminate the groundwater that residents use. Groundwater is vulnerable to contamination where the soil layer is thin and the bedrock is fractured, which is the case for much of the study region. This stu
Authors
Joel P. Stokdyk, Mark A. Borchardt, Aaron Firnstahl, Ken Bradbury, Moe Muldoon, Burney A Kieke
By
Upper Midwest Water Science Center, Laboratory for Infectious Disease and the Environment

Statewide quantitative microbial risk assessment for waterborne viruses, bacteria, and protozoa in public water supply wells in Minnesota

Infection risk from waterborne pathogens can be estimated via quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) and forms an important consideration in the management of public groundwater systems. However, few groundwater QMRAs use site-specific hazard identification and exposure assessment, so prevailing risks in these systems remain poorly defined. We estimated the infection risk for 9 waterborne p
Authors
Tucker R. Burch, Joel P. Stokdyk, Nancy Rice, Anita C. Anderson, James F. Walsh, Sue Spencer, Aaron Firnstahl, Mark A. Borchardt
By
Upper Midwest Water Science Center, Laboratory for Infectious Disease and the Environment
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Science

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Three people measure streamflow while standing in the middle of an Iowa stream, leafy foliage surrounds stream.

Assessing the health risk from waterborne pathogens for public users recreating on future Iowa Water Trails recreation sites near Des Moines

Scientists at LIDE are collaborating with Polk County Conservation in central Iowa to estimate the health risk posed to recreators in the Des Moines River and tributaries. Samples collected over two years are tested for viral, bacterial, and protozoan pathogens, and health risk is estimated using quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA). Health risk will also be compared to microbial source...
By
Upper Midwest Water Science Center, Laboratory for Infectious Disease and the Environment
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Assessing the health risk from waterborne pathogens for public users recreating on future Iowa Water Trails recreation sites near Des Moines

Scientists at LIDE are collaborating with Polk County Conservation in central Iowa to estimate the health risk posed to recreators in the Des Moines River and tributaries. Samples collected over two years are tested for viral, bacterial, and protozoan pathogens, and health risk is estimated using quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA). Health risk will also be compared to microbial source...
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Three scientists collecting residential water well samples on sunny snowy day

Well Water Advisory Forecasts for northeast Wisconsin

The fractured bedrock of northeast Wisconsin is vulnerable to groundwater contamination because water and contaminants can move quickly. LIDE is launching a study to predict contamination of private wells in northeast WI using Runoff Risk Advisory Forecasts (RRAF). RRAF is an online tool that forecasts conditions conducive to surface runoff, and the long-term vision is to leverage its forecasts to...
By
Upper Midwest Water Science Center, Laboratory for Infectious Disease and the Environment
link

Well Water Advisory Forecasts for northeast Wisconsin

The fractured bedrock of northeast Wisconsin is vulnerable to groundwater contamination because water and contaminants can move quickly. LIDE is launching a study to predict contamination of private wells in northeast WI using Runoff Risk Advisory Forecasts (RRAF). RRAF is an online tool that forecasts conditions conducive to surface runoff, and the long-term vision is to leverage its forecasts to...
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link
Scientist collecting homeowner water sample

Southwest Wisconsin Groundwater and Geology (SWIGG) study

The fractured bedrock aquifers of southwest Wisconsin are often overlain by shallow soils, so private wells are potentially vulnerable to contamination by nitrate and pathogens from the land surface. The goal of this study is to evaluate the extent and causes of private well water contamination in three southwest Wisconsin counties.
By
Upper Midwest Water Science Center, Laboratory for Infectious Disease and the Environment
link

Southwest Wisconsin Groundwater and Geology (SWIGG) study

The fractured bedrock aquifers of southwest Wisconsin are often overlain by shallow soils, so private wells are potentially vulnerable to contamination by nitrate and pathogens from the land surface. The goal of this study is to evaluate the extent and causes of private well water contamination in three southwest Wisconsin counties.
Learn More
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