Cynthia C. McOliver ^1*, Hanna B. Lemerman ², Ellen K. Silbergeld ¹, Richard D. Moore ³, Thaddeus K. Graczyk ¹

¹ Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
² Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
³ Johns Hopkins HIV Clinic ,Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: cmcolive{at}jhsph.edu.

	Abstract

Objectives. We assessed the prevalence of recreational activities in the waterways of Baltimore, MD, among persons with HIV/AIDS and their risk of exposure to Cryptosporidium.

Methods. We studied patients at the Johns Hopkins Moore Outpatient AIDS Clinic. We conducted oral interviews in 2007 with a convenience sample of 157 HIV/AIDS patients to ascertain the sites used for recreational water contact within Baltimore waters and assess risk behaviors.

Results. Approximately 48% of respondents reported participating in recreational water activities (fishing, crabbing, boating, and swimming). Men and women were almost equally likely to engage in recreational water activities (53.3% versus 51.3%). A majority (61%, or 46 of 75) of respondents who reported recreational water contact reported consumption of their own catch, and approximately 67% (105 of 157) ate their own catch or that of friends or family members.

Conclusions. Baltimoreans with HIV/AIDS are engaging in recreational water activities in urban waters that may expose them to waterborne pathogens and recreational water illnesses. Susceptible persons, such as patients with HIV/AIDS, should be cautioned regarding potential microbial risks from recreational water contact with surface waters.

Key Words: Environment, Epidemiology, HIV/AIDS, African Americans/Blacks, Surveys, Urban Health