Studies show that wastewater workers have more parasitic infections than the general population.
Some researchers believe that sewer maintenance and treatment employees may have increased numbers of bacterial, viral and parasitic infections with no signs or symptoms of disease. These are called sub-clinical infections. There is no way to predict if there are dangerous organisms in the wastewater. Bacteria Bacteria are primitive, microscopic, one-cell organisms that can enter a worker s body through swallowing, breathing and skin absorption. It can also cause skin infections as well as lung and respiratory disease.