What You Need To Know About Water-Related Diseases
Water-related diseases can also be grouped into mainly 2 categories: water-borne diseases and water-based diseases.
Water-borne diseases are caused by water that has been contaminated by human, animal, or chemical wastes. These diseases include cholera, typhoid, bacillary disentry, polio, meningitis, hepatitis An and E, diarrhoea, and numerous others. These diseases are caused by filthy water, and most of them is also prevented by treating the water before use.
One of the most standard diseases is diarrhoea. Diarrhoeal diseases cause about 6 000 deaths, mostly between children under 5 years. Among 1 085 000 and 2 187 000 deaths as a result of diarrhoeal diseases can be attributed towards the “water, sanitation and hygiene” risk factor, 90% of them between youngsters under five. But, with simple hygiene measures including washing hands after using the toilet or just before preparing food, most of these illnesses and deaths can be prevented.
Water-based diseases are caused by aquatic organisms that spend part of their life cycle inside water and another component as parasites of animals. Water-based diseases include Guinea worm disease, Filariasis, Paragonimiasis, Clonorchiasis and Schistosomiasis. These diseases are caused by a variety of flukes, tapeworms, roundworms and tissue nematodes, always referred to as helminths that infect humans. Although these diseases are not commonly fatal, they prevent persons from living regular lives and impair their potential to work.
The occurrence of water-based diseases often increases once dams are constructed, because stagnant water behind dams is ideal for snails, the intermediary host for numerous forms of worms.
Some diseases caused or spread with water are:
Cholera is caused by the Vibrio Cholerge bacteria and is spread with drinking water contaminated with the bacteria. In severe forms, Cholera is known to be the most rapidly fatal illnesses known. Symptoms may perhaps include really watery diarrhoea, nausea, cramps, nosebleed, a rapid pulse, vomiting and hypovolemic shock (sever cases), at which point death can occur in 12 – 18 hours.
E.Coli Infection is caused by particular strains of Escherichia Coli and is spread with drinking water contaminated with the bacteria. Symptoms include of mostly diarrhoea; and it can lead to death in immune compromised individuals; in particular the really young as well as the elderly, because of dehydration.
Hepatitis An is caused by the Hepatitis A virus, spread because it manifests itself in water and food. Symptoms are only acute and include fatigue, fever, abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhoea, weight loss, itching and depression.
Poliomyelitis is caused by the Poliovirus and is spread because it enters water in the feces of infected patients. 90 – 95% of patients show no symptoms; 4 – 8% has minor symptoms just like delirium, headache, fever and occasional seizures, and plastic paralysis. 1% has symptoms of non-paralytic aseptic meningitis. The rest have serious symptoms resulting in paralysis or even death.
As you can see, water-based diseases can either be really deadly, or not so serious.
For more information on water purification or chlorination visit the website of Klomac South Africa today!
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