Disease Epidemics Spread By Water

Waterborne Diseases, Cholera, Typhoid, Dysentry, Hepatitis A

Sep 30, 2009

Disease outbreaks are common in areas of war and conflict and areas devastated by natural disasters. Diseases in unsafe drinking water spread quickly and widely.

Waterborne diseases pose a major threat to the health of populations in areas of war and conflict and areas affected by natural disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis, floods and cyclones. Disease epidemics can spread through unsafe drinking water and contaminated water used to bathe, swim in or wash fruit and vegetables.

Diarrheal disease alone is the cause of 1.8 million deaths every year (WHO, 2004). Areas of natural disaster and post war or conflict societies suffer loss of infrastructure including sanitation and clean water. A lack of human resources also overwhelms local health facilities. This results in inadequate treatment of victims and difficulty in identifying the waterborne disease outbreak effectively.

Over burdened health facilities also often fail to meet safe sanitation conditions to create healthy environments for patients, relatives and staff. Most waterborne diseases affect the intestines and digestive tract causing symptoms which commonly include diarrhea, vomiting, nausea and fever.

Severe diarrhea with cramps and vomiting can be life threatening. If left untreated, patients may lose up to a liter of water per hour. Patients with severe dehydration can succumb to diarrhea as rapidly as 6 hours from the onset of symptoms. Children and pregnant women are particularly vulnerable.

Epidemic of Cholera in Iraq and Afghanistan

Other water-borne diseases include cholera which has affected areas of war-torn Iraq and Afghanistan. Higher summer temperatures make conditions favorable for the growth of the bacteria Vibrio cholerae, which causes the disease by infecting the intestine. Cholera spreads quickly and in wide areas through water and that’s a serious matter. Guidelines to control the bacteria include strict testing, control of sewage to prevent contamination of water supplies and chlorination of water to kill the bacteria. Boiling water also kills the bacteria and eating raw vegetables and fruits which may have been washed in contaminated water should be avoided.

Dysentry, Typhoid and other Waterborne Disease

Dysentry is a water-borne disease, which like cholera is spread by fecal contaminated food and water. It causes and inflammation of the intestine characterized with blood in frequent bowel movements and dehydration. Outbreaks of dysentery is a serious problem among refugee populations where overcrowding and poor sanitation cause the disease to spread quickly. Most deaths caused by dysentery are among children under the age of five years.

Typhoid fever is an infection of the blood and intestines caused by the bacteria Salmonella typhis spread through contaminated water, food and beverages. It may cause mild to severe symptoms including sustained fevers, fatigue, weight loss, headache, pink colored spots on the chest area, constipation or diarrhea and an enlarged spleen and liver. Symptoms usually appear one to three weeks after exposure. Paratyphoid fever is a milder form of typhoid.

Common viral waterborne diseases are hepatitis A, polio and adenovirus infection and protozoal diseases spread through unsafe water include amebiasis, giardiasis and microsporidiosis.

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