Waterborne Diseases 1

Water-borne Diseases
What is a Water-borne Disease?
 Waterborne diseases are pathogenic micro-

organisms which are directly transmitted
when contaminated drinking water is
consumed.
 Contaminated drinking water used in the

preparation of food can be the source of
food borne disease through consumption of
the same micro-organisms.
 Humans contract waterborne infections by
contact with contaminated water or food.
 May result from human actions, such as

improper disposal of sewage wastes, or
extreme weather events like storms and
hurricanes.
 Water-borne diseases are any illness
caused by drinking water contaminated
by human or animal faeces, which
contain pathogenic microorganisms.
 The term "waterborne disease" is reserved
largely for infections that predominantly
are transmitted through contact with or
consumption of infected water.
 Many infections may be transmitted by microbes
or parasites that accidentally, possibly as a result
of exceptional circumstances, have entered the
water.
Climate Change Supports Water-borne
Disease
 Rainfall: transport and dissemination of infectious agents.
 Flooding: sewage treatment plants overflow, water sources

contaminated.
 Sea level rise: enhances risk of severe flooding.
 Higher temperatures: Increases growth and prolongs survival rates of

infectious agents.
 Drought: increases concentrations of pathogens, delays hygiene.

Climate Change
 Water scarcity compromises hygiene.
 Reduced water pressure increases risk of

back draw off of contaminated water.
 Floods causing opening of barriers between

sewage and water systems.
 Warming/cooling changes distribution of
pathogens and vectors.
 Increased UV exposure resulting in increased

susceptibility to disease.
 Increased mutation rates with unpredictable

effects (pathogen development).
 The full picture of water-associated diseases is
complex for a number of reasons.
 Over the past decades, the picture of water-

related human health issues has become
increasingly comprehensive, with the emergence
of new water-related infection diseases and the
re-emergence of ones already known.
 Microorganisms causing diseases that
characteristically are waterborne prominently
include protozoa and bacteria, many of which are
intestinal parasites, or invade the tissues or
circulatory system through walls of the digestive
tract.
 Various other waterborne diseases are caused by

viruses.
 Infection commonly results during bathing,
washing, drinking, in the preparation of
food, or the consumption of food thus
infected.
 Various forms of waterborne diarrheal
disease probably are the most prominent
examples, and affect mainly children in
developing countries.
 According to the World Health Organization,
such diseases account for an estimated 4.1% of
the total global burden of disease, and cause
about 1.8 million human deaths annually.
• The World Health Organization

estimates that 88% of that burden is
attributable to unsafe water supply,
sanitation and hygiene.
 In developing countries four-fifths of all the
illnesses are caused by water-borne diseases,
with diarrhoea being the leading cause of
childhood death.
 The global picture of water and health has a
strong local dimension with some 1.1 billion
people still lacking access to improved drinking
water sources and some 2.4 billion to adequate
sanitation.
 WHO estimates, indicate that worldwide over
2 billion people are infected with schistosomes
and soil transmitted helminthes and 300 million of
these suffer serious illness as a result.
 Malaria kills over a million people every
year, and a large percentage of them
are under five years.
 Diarrhoea occurs worldwide and causes

4% of all deaths and 5% of the health loss
to disability.
 After the Tsunami attack in Asia on Sunday the
26th of December 2004 people faced the threat
of water borne diseases linked to flooding, like
shigellosis, cholera, hepatitis A, Leptospirosis,
typhoid fever, malaria and dengue fever.
 Waterborne diseases can have a significant
impact on the economy, locally as well as
internationally.
 People who are infected by a waterborne disease
are usually confronted with related costs.
 This is especially the case in less developed

countries.
 The financial losses are mostly caused by e.g. costs

for medical treatment and medication, costs for
transport, special food, and by the loss of
manpower.
Diseases Related to Water
Water-borne Water-based
Diseases Diseases
Water-washed Water-related
Diseases Diseases
Routes of transmission of
diseases
The five F’s:
 Food
 Fingers
 Feces
 Flies
 Fomites
Water-borne Diseases
Water-borne diseases spread and caused

by contaminating drinking water with feces
and urine of infected animals or people
which contain pathogenic microorganisms.
 Transmission occurs by drinking contaminated
water, particularly contamination by pathogens
transmitted from human excreta.
 These include most of the enteric and diarrheal

diseases caused by bacteria and viruses
worldwide.
Include cholera, typhoid, hepatitis,

amoebic and bacillary dysentery and
other diarrheal diseases.
It is Everyone Right to Have Access to Safe
Water
Water for People
Water for Life

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Water-borne Diseases

What is a Water-borne Disease?

 Waterborne diseases are pathogenic micro-

 Contaminated drinking water used in the

 May result from human actions, such as

 Flooding: sewage treatment plants overflow, water sources

 Sea level rise: enhances risk of severe flooding.

 Higher temperatures: Increases growth and prolongs survival rates of

 Drought: increases concentrations of pathogens, delays hygiene.

 Water scarcity compromises hygiene.

 Reduced water pressure increases risk of

 Floods causing opening of barriers between

 Increased UV exposure resulting in increased

 Increased mutation rates with unpredictable

 Over the past decades, the picture of water-

 Various other waterborne diseases are caused by

• The World Health Organization

 Diarrhoea occurs worldwide and causes

 This is especially the case in less developed

 The financial losses are mostly caused by e.g. costs

Water-borne diseases spread and caused

 These include most of the enteric and diarrheal

Include cholera, typhoid, hepatitis,

Water for People

Water for Life

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