Every year, hundreds of millions of people get infected by waterborne diseases, especially those who don’t have access to clean, drinkable water in developing nations.
Waterborne diseases due to contaminated water occur quite often. Pathogenic microorganisms such as protozoa, bacteria, intestinal parasites, and viruses reproduce in such waters. It is said that one of the best ways to protect yourself as well as your family against such harmful diseases is to invest in a high-quality water purifier or a filter.
Here are some of the most common contaminated water diseases:
Typhoid Fever
This type of disease is caused by the bacterium Salmonella Typhi. S.Typh can be a fatal disease. This type of bacteria is also found in chicken and eggs and is more publicly known as salmonella poisoning or food poisoning.
This is perhaps the most common waterborne bacteria that are found in developing states. Approximately 20 million people around the world suffer from this infection every year. Anyone suffering from this disease can transfer harmful bacteria in their intestinal tract and bloodstream.
Diarrhea
Diarrhea is the most common waterborne disease in India. Most of the victims are children under the age of five. This disease can spread through contaminated food or water and can last about two weeks. Some of the common symptoms that are reported from suffers of this infection include loss of consciousness, pale skin, dizziness, and blood in stools in some cases.
Dysentery
Dysentery is a mix of abdominal cramps, severe diarrhea, and nausea. A person suffering from acute dysentery could experience traces of blood and high fever in the fecal matter. There are two types of dysentery; amoebic dysentery that is caused by amoebae; and bacillary dysentery that’s caused by bacteria. Should either of these diseases be ingested through contaminated food or water, one may develop dysentery within four days.
Cholera
Cholera is commonly found in marginalized villages and humanitarian emergencies where poor sanitation and poverty are widespread. This infection can spread through contaminated water and results in severe diarrhea and dehydration. Cholera can be fatal if one is exposed within days or perhaps even hours to the bacteria. However, only 1 out of 10 people can develop seriously-concerning contaminated water symptoms.
Hepatitis A
Hepatitis A is a liver-based disease that is caused by a virus known as the hepatitis A virus (HIV) which can affect anyone. It is usually found in the stools of anyone infected with this disease and can spread drastically from one person to another. The virus can easily be transmitted in areas that have poor sanitary conditions for new places where cleanliness isn’t usually considered. Anyone infected with hepatitis A can affect anyone living within the same vicinity.
One sure way of purifying contaminated water is by buying a water softener system. These systems use either sodium or potassium (read more about the distinction between those two on this website) to treat your water before it passes on to other filtration systems capable of removing bacteria. Water softeners make these additional filters much more capable of doing their job.
Arsenicosis
Industrial units located on river banks usually discard a poisonous substance called arsenic as wastewater. It’s another one of those drinking contaminated water diseases where exposure to small amounts of arsenic via drinking water can lead to arsenic poisoning or arsenicosis. The most telling symptom of this virus is painful skin lesions (keratosis), which elevates the chances of cancer. It can also end up infecting our bladder, kidneys, and lungs.
Giardia
This disease is shared through contaminated water, usually in streams and ponds, but can also be found in swimming pools, the town’s water supply and more. A parasite causes the infection and it typically clears up in just a couple of weeks. But some who have been exposed to the virus may experience prolonged intestinal problems for several years.
Malarial Fever
Malaria is spread through a mosquito known as the plasmodium parasite mosquito. Water bodies like stagnant water and lakes are the usual breeding grounds of these harmful insects. The symptoms of this virus include body chills, vomiting, headaches, and fevers.
Polio (Infantile Paralysis)
Poliomyelitis, also known as polio, is an acute viral infection that is caused by a virus that passes through water from the feces of those infected by it. When someone contracts this virus, it affects the central nervous system causing the victims to suffer from headaches, seizures, fever, and paralysis.
Escherichia Coli (E. coli)
Escherichia coli, or E. coli for short, is a bacteria that contains a number of strains, some fatal, and others beneficial. For instance, E. coli is crucial for creating a healthy intestinal tract.
However, if strains of the virus spread through how the process of how ground beef is made, anyone who consumes this beef would be showcasing the symptoms of this waterborne disease. This virus can also be found in unsafe water sources from around the world where cattle and human water sources exist side-by-side.
The symptoms of the dangerous strains of E. coli are identical to that of dysentery as well as other waterborne infections. Most cases of this virus pass in under a week, but young children and older adults possess higher chances of developing fatal symptoms. Anyone who’s been exposed to contaminated water or food should contact their physicians right away, especially if their diarrhea has blood in it.
Traveler’s Diarrhea
Also known as Montezuma’s Revenge, Aztec Two-Step, the Turista Traveler’s Diarrhea is the most recurring waterborne infection that spreads to travelers. Every year, around 20 to 55% of vacationers who travel to other countries from around the world contract this disease after coming home.
This infection usually occurs within the first week but can also occur during travel or even after when travelers return home. Some destinations in Asian countries come with a higher risk of this infection where the attack rates are usually for both men and women, whereas the main source of the infection is the ingestion of highly contaminated food and water.