DOMASI DEVELOPMENT COLLEGE
PUBLIC HEALTH (BMEC) LEVEL 5
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
WATER BORNE DISEASES
Prepared By: Burnet N. Mulungu
Phone: 0885543125
Email: burnetmulungu@[Link]
DEFINITION
• Water a life-giving liquid can also be a life-taking lethal fluid. Around
3.1% of deaths in the world are due to unhygienic and poor quality of
water.
Introduction
• Poor water quality becomes inevitable when water
gets polluted with industrial waste, human waste,
animal waste, garbage, untreated sewage, chemical
effluents, etc.
• Drinking or cooking with such polluted water leads
to waterborne diseases and infections such as
amoebiasis, giardiasis, and toxoplasmosis.
Causes of Water Borne Diseases
1. Contaminated water could carry viruses such
as Hepatitis A and E, bacteria like [Link] ([Link] can be passed
from hand to hand, such as via vendors of street food or food
handled by someone carrying [Link] bacteria.
• It can lead to food poisoning). The result: dangerous
diseases like cholera and typhoid fever.
• Other waterborne diseases include diarrhoea, dysentery,
polio and meningitis.
Causes of Water Borne Diseases
2. Unclean water for washing can cause skin and
infectious eye disease such as Trachoma. Trachoma
can lead to visual impairment or blindness.
• Rural populations are more at risk from
waterborne illnesses, but everyone faces risks of
polluted or contaminated water.
• Waterborne illness can affect anyone, anywhere
6
Precautions of Water Borne Diseases
1. Ensure the water is visibly clean and free from
sand and silt. Filter the water to get rid of visible
dirt.
2. Drink only clean and safe water – either portable
water or water filtered through water purifiers.
3. Get water purifying devices like filters, RO unit,
etc., regularly serviced and maintained.
Precautions of Water Borne Diseases
4. Ensure stored water is germ-free.
5. Add antiseptic liquid, such as Dettol in dubious-looking bathing
water.
6. Hand hygiene – regularly wash hands with soap after returning home,
after using the toilet, before and after preparing food, before eating or
drinking anything.
7. Avoid eating stale cooked food, unrefrigerated food kept exposed
outside for long hours.
Precautions of Water Borne Diseases
8. Teach hand hygiene to children.
• Children should make it a habit to always wash
hands when returning home after playing
games.
9. Ensure food is washed and thoroughly cooked.
• Use disposable glass and plates whenever possible
when eating outside food, particularly street food.
Types of Water Borne Diseases
[Link] Fever
• Although rare in industrialized countries, typhoid fever
is well-known in extremely poor parts of developing
nations; it’s estimated that up to 20 million
people worldwide suffer from the illness each year.
• It’s spread through contaminated food, unsafe water, and
poor sanitation, and it is highly contagious.
Types of Water Borne Diseases
2. Cholera
• Cholera is commonly found in humanitarian
emergencies or marginalized villages where poverty and
poor sanitation are rampant.
• The disease is spread through contaminated water and
causes severe dehydration and diarrhea.
• Cholera can be fatal within days or even hours of
exposure to the bacteria, but only 1 in 10 people will
develop life-threatening symptoms.
Types of Water Borne Diseases
3. Giardia
This waterborne disease is shared through contaminated
water, most often in ponds and streams, but it can also be
found in a town’s water supply, swimming pools, and more.
The infection is caused by a parasite and typically clears
up after a few weeks.
However, it’s possible for those who have been exposed
will experience intestinal problems for years to come.
Types of Water Borne Diseases
4. Dysentery
• An intestinal infection, dysentery is a waterborne
disease characterized by severe diarrhea as well as
blood or mucus in the stool.
• Dysentery is good reason to always wash your hands, as
the disease is spread mainly through poor hygiene.
• It can be caused by bacteria, viruses, or parasites in
unsafe food and water and by people coming in contact
with fecal matter.
Types of Water Borne Diseases
5. Hepatitis A
• Hepatitis A is a liver infection caused by consuming
contaminated food and water or by coming in close
contact with someone who has the infection.
• People who travel in developing countries often or
work in rural communities with poor sanitation and
hygiene management are most exposed to the
disease.
Types of Water Borne Diseases
6. Salmonella
• Most cases of salmonella come from ingesting food or water
contaminated with feces.
• Undercooked meat, egg products, fruits, and vegetables can
also carry the disease.
• Most people don’t develop complications, but children,
pregnant women, older adults, and people with weakened
immune systems are most at risk.
Conclusion
• The pathogenic microorganisms, their toxic
exudates, and other contaminants together, cause
serious conditions such as cholera, diarrhea,
typhoid, amebiasis, hepatitis, gastroenteritis,
giardiasis, campylobacteriosis, scabies, and worm
infections, to name a few.
Questions, Clarifications or any Feedback – burnetmulungu@[Link]/+265885543125
END
