Gastrointestinal infections represent one of the main cause of morbidity both in developing and industrialized areas. Quality of coastal waters is particularly important for countries as Italy that has several regions on coasts. Public health and economy aspects could be hardly affected by poor quality of sea waters. Several studies have been addressed to the association between sea recreational water and development of gastrointestinal infection but in Italy only sporadic cases of infection have been reported especially in immunocompromised hosts. Results of this study, either in the case control or in the active surveillance study seem to confirm the absence of an association between sea exposure and intestinal infections. One of the main risk factors for the development of these infections is still represented by the seafood consumption especially shellfish.