Question

Collect information on water b

orne diseases and ways to overcome these diseases

Answer 1

Waterborne diseases are caused by pathogenic microorganisms that most commonly are transmitted in contaminated fresh water. 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 DALY global burden of disease, and cause about 1.8 million human deaths annually.

The complete picture of water-associated diseases is complex for some different reasons. Over a period of decades, the picture of water-related human health issues has become more and more comprehensive, with the emergence of new water-related infection diseases and the re-emergence of ones we already know about.

Data is available for some water, hygiene-related and sanitation diseases such as cholera, salmonellosis, or shigellosis. Yet for others such as schistosomiasis, malaria, or more modern infections such as SARS CoV or legionellosis the analysis has yet to be performed. The burden of a number of disease groups may only partly be attributed to water determinants. Even where water has an essential role in the ecology of diseases, it might be difficult to pinpoint the relative importance of water components of the local ecosystem.