Water borne disease transmission mechanisms

1. WATER BASED DISEASE TRANSMISSION
MECHANISM
Presented by ,
A. Sudha,
M. Sc. Applied Microbiology,
Sacred Heart College (Autonomous),
Tirupattur.

2. INTRODUCTION
• Water is the major cause of disease in the developing
country
• Waterborne disease cause more than 2 million deaths
annually
IMPORTANCE OF WATER QUALITY
• Safe water is a precondition for health and development and
a basic human right.
• Water – related disease caused by insufficient safe water
supplies coupled with poor sanitation and Hygiene.

3. TERMS TO BE KNOWN
• Potable (clean) Water :
It’s free of all objectional material including
pathogens, tastes, odors, colours, toxins, radioactive
materials, microorganisms, oils, gases , etc.,
• Contaminated or Polluted Water :
Water contaminated with sewage, domestic or
industrial waste with chemicals and pathogenic
microorganisms.

4. DISEASE RELATED TO WATER
• WATER – BORNE DISEASES
Cholera, Typhoid, Amoebic and Bacillary dysentery – Diarrheal
diseases
• WATER – WASHED DISEASES
Scabies, Trachoma, Flies, Lice and Tick born diseases
• WATER – BASED DISEASES
Schistosomiasis, Dracunculiasis etc.,
• WATER- RELATED DISEASES
Filariasis, Malaria, Onchocerciasis, Trypanosomiasis, Yellow fever
etc.,

5. WATER – BORNE DISEASES
• Diseases caused by ingestion of water
contaminated by human or animal faeces or
urine, which contain pathogenic
microorganisms.
• Microorganisms such as many Bacteria, Viruses,
Protozoa and Parasites can cause disease when
ingested.

6. BACTERIA
DISEASES MICROBIAL AGENT SOURCES OF DISEASE SYMPTOMS
Campylobacteriosis Campylobacter jejuni Drinking water
contaminated with feces
Causes dysentery like
symptoms along with high
fever, Usually lasts 2- 10 days
E. Coli infection Escherichia coli Water contaminated with
bacteria
Mostly Diarrhea, cause death
due to dehydration in
immunocompromised
patients
Typhoid Salmonella typhi Ingestion of contaminated
water with feaces of an
infected person
Fever 40˚C , Diarrhea, spleen
and liver enlargement, less
commonly rash

7. DISEASES MICROBIAL AGENT SOURCES OF DISEASE SYMPTOMS
Dysentry Shigella dysenteriae Water contaminated with
the bacteria
Frequent passage of feces
with blood and/ or mucus
and also blood vomiting
Legionellosis Legionella pneumophila Contaminated water Fever, chills, pneumonia,
muscle aches, malaise,
diarhhea and vomiting
Cholera Vibrio cholerae Drinking water
contaminated with bacteria
Fatal illness, watery diarrhea,
nausea, cramps, nosebleed,
vomiting, and hypovolemic
shock
Yersiniosis Yersinia enterocolitica Contaminated water with
bacteria that has pig feces
Fever, abdominal pain,
diarrhea,
Pseudomonas
infection
Pseudomonas aeruginosa Water contaminated with
these germs
Pneumonia, UTI,
bloodstream infection, fever
and chills, tiredness

8. VIRUSES
DISEASES MICROBIAL AGENT SOURCES OF DISEASE SYMPTOMS
Adenovirus infection Adenovirus Manifests itself in
improperly treated water
Common cold symptoms,
pneumonia, croup, and
bronchitis
Poliomyelitis Polio virus Enters water through the
feces of infected individuals
90-95% of people shows no
symptoms, some have
headache, fever and seizures ,
paralysis too
Hepatitis Hepatitis A virus Manifests itself in water Fatigue, fever, abdominal
pain, itching, jaundice and
depression
Gastroenteritis Rotavirus Drinking contaminated
water
Watery diarrhea, vomiting ,
fever, abdominal fever
Gastroenteritis Noroviruses and
Sapoviruses
Drinking Contaminated
water with tiny particles of
feces
Severe vomiting and diarrhea

9. PROTOZOA
DISEASES MICROBIAL AGENT SOURCES OF DISEASE SYMPTOMS
Cryptosporidiosis Cryptosporidium parvum Water tainted with
infected persons stool
Watery diarrhea , stomach
cramps, vomiting and
weight loss
Amoebiasis Entamoeba histolytica Improper sanitary
condition of water
Amebic dysentery, stomach
pain, cramp, bloody stool
Giardiasis Giardia lamblia Contaminated water , in
poor sanitation area
2- 5 loose stools per day
with increased fatigue
Primary Amebic
Meningoencephalit
is
Naegleria fowleri Water contaminated
protozoa enters through
nose
Fever, headache, nausea, or
vomiting
Toxoplasmosis Toxoplasma gondii Ingestion of oocysts in
feces of infected cats
that contaminate water
Muscle pain, fever,
headache, fatigue, and
swollen lymph nodes

10. WATER – WASHED DISEASES
• Diseases caused by poor personal hygiene
and skin and eye contact with
contaminated water

11. SOIL TRANSMITTED HELMINTHS
• Transmitted primarily through contact with contaminated soil. The most prevalent helminths
are
Ascaris : Caused by Ascaris lumbricoides
Symptoms : severe abdominal pain, fatigue, weight loss , vomiting and worm
in vomit or stool
 Hook worm : Caused by Ancylostoma duodenale
Symptoms: Itching and localized rash, diarrhea, loss of appetite, weight loss
and anemia
 Whipworm : Trichuris trichiura
Symptoms: Frequent painful bowl movement that contain mixture of mucus ,
water and blood
Improved hygiene practice and sanitation can reduce disease incidence

12. ACUTE RESPIRATORY INFECTIONS
• Acute respiratory infection (ARI) including pneumonia
are responsible for approximately 19% of total child
death every year
• There is an increasing body of evidence demonstrating
that good hygiene practices , especially hand washing
with soap, can significantly reduce the transmission of
ARI

13. SKIN AND EYE DISEASES
• Trachoma
It’s caused by the Chlamydia
trachomatis bacteria which inflame the eye
The best control method for trachoma
is improved access to water for face
washing

14. RINGWORM INFECTION
• Caused by Trichophyton, Microsporum and
Epidermophyton also caused by Tinea corporis
• Transmitted by Showering with contaminated
water
• It’s an infectious disease of the skin , scalp, or
nails.

15. WATER – BASED DISEASES
•Diseases caused by parasites
found in intermediate organisms
living in contaminated water

16. SCHISTOSOMIASIS
• Also known as Bilharziasis
• Infection caused by Flatworms called Schistosomes.
• They spend their part of their life cycle inside the snail
host
• People become infected through contact with infected
water, mainly during fishing and agricultural activities.
• Symptoms : Rash or itchy skin, fever, chills, cough and
muscle aches

17. DRACUNCULIASIS
• Also known as Guinea – worm disease
• Caused by roundworm Dracunculus medinensis
• Guinea worm larvae in water bodies are ingested by Cyclops
water flea.
• People become infected by drinking water contaminated with
cyclops : the larvae are released in the stomach, migrate through
the intestinal wall, and grow to adult worms.
• Symptoms : Allergic reactions, urticaria rash, nausea, vomiting,
diarrhea and asthmatic attack

18. WATER – RELATED DISEASES
•Water- related diseases are caused by
insect vectors, especially mosquitoes,
that breed or feed near contaminated
water

19. MOSQUITO BORNE DISEASES
 Consideration of vector control can reduce the potential
for water related disease transmission
 The mosquito and flies are most common vectors
 Mosquito borne diseases are
 Malaria by Plasmodium sp
 Yellow fever by Arbo virus
 Dengue fever by Virus and vector Aedes aegypti
 Filariasis by Wuchereria bancrofti

20. FLY - BORNE DISEASES
• Onchocerciasis ( River blindness) caused by
Filarial worm Onchocerca volvulus
• Trypanosomiasis ( Western African Sleeping
sickness) Caused by a parasite Trypanosoma bruce
• Leishmaniasis ( Kala- azar)
• Loiasis Caused by parasitic worm Loa loa

21. THANK YOU