As water shutoffs have escalated in Detroit, so has the incidence of water-related infectious disease. See attached analysis by Dr. George Gaines of infectious disease data from the Detroit Health Department. The diseases cited are most commonly found in developing countries where there is no indoor plumbing. The tens of thousands of Detroit homes where the water has been shut off, in effect, have no indoor plumbing and are living in primitive conditions, at risk for communicable disease.
THREE WATERBORNE OUTBREAKS IN DETROIT – George Gaines, MSW, MPH