9621 Agnes Crossing, Lake Suzanneview, New Mexico Island 84604-9295.
Water is life. But it can also be a carrier of bacteria, parasites, and other microorganisms that can make people very, very sick. Unfortunately, according to the U.S.
Water is life. But it can also be a carrier of bacteria, parasites, and other microorganisms that can make people very, very sick. Unfortunately, according to the U.S. Global Change Research Program, researchers predict that waterborne diseases will increase as the climate warms. Warming could expand the range of some parasites and bacteria, extend the bloom season of some toxic algae, and strain water infrastructure to the point of failure. Read on to learn about some of the nasty infections that untreated water can carry and how to avoid them.
What it is: cholera caused by a bacterium Vibrio choleraeIt causes diarrhea and vomiting and can quickly lead to death from dehydration and shock, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Cholera was a leading cause of death in London in the 1800s due to the rapid industrialization of the population and the lack of sewage treatment. One leading theory at the time attributed the disease to unpleasant “miasms,” or bad air that could cause infection. But when physician John Snow recreated a map of the 1854 outbreak, he showed a common denominator among the patients: water from the Broad Street Pump in Soho. His data convinced authorities to shut down the pump, earning Snow a place in history as the father of modern epidemiology.
But cholera still kills today. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), between 1.3 million and 4 million cases are reported each year, of which 21,000 to 143,000 result in death. This condition can be treated with an oral rehydration solution of purified water, sugar, and salt. Therefore, these deaths are not due to a lack of treatment options, but rather to a lack of access to treatment for the most vulnerable groups.
How to avoid this: Deaths from cholera can be prevented with proper sanitation and access to clean water.
What it is: Primary amoebic meningitis (PAM), a rare but dreadful infection caused by an amoeba Naegleria fowleriIt lives in freshwater lakes, rivers and hot springs. According to the Virginia Department of Health, the amoeba thrives in water temperatures of at least 86 degrees Fahrenheit (30 degrees Celsius) and thrives in temperatures between 95 and 113 degrees F (35 and 45 C). But the amoeba is free-living, meaning it doesn’t cause infections as part of its life cycle; the only way it can cause problems is by entering the brain through the nose, as can happen when swimmers jump or dive into amoeba-infested water.
The complexity of the infection makes the disease rare; fewer than 10 cases are reported each year in the U.S., according to the CDC. But when PAM occurs, the outcome is almost universally fatal. The amoeba enters the brain, causing an inflammatory reaction that leads to swelling and destruction of brain tissue. More than 97 percent of those infected die, and survivors often suffer permanent brain damage.
How to avoid this: Avoid getting fresh water in your nose. Do not put your head in warm, still water or wear a nose plug while swimming in such an environment.
What it is: Anyone unlucky enough to contract Giardia will experience weeks of nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Giardia duodenalis. G. duodenalis — the simplest, single-celled organism that attaches to the lining of the intestine. It multiplies by forming cysts and leaving the body in feces. According to the CDC, these cysts can survive in water or soil for months. Transmission usually occurs when people drink contaminated water, although giardia can also spread directly from person to person or through contaminated food.
Giardia infects one million people in the United States each year, according to the CDC. The body usually fights off the parasites on its own, but antiparasitic medications and antibiotics are sometimes used to treat people with long-term illness, according to the Mayo Clinic.
How to avoid this: do not drink untreated water. If you are hiking or camping, boil raw water for one minute or use a special filter and disinfection system to purify the water.
What it is: AcanthamoebaWhich N.. fowleriis a free-living amoeba. It has a wider range than it is. N. fowleriand is found in both fresh and marine water. Most often this causes an eye infection called. Acanthamoeba Treatable keratitis. However, sometimes the infection can spread to the skin or other tissues. If one of these infections reaches the brain or spinal cord, it is called granulomatous amoebic encephalitis (GAE) and is almost always fatal.
How to avoid this: GAE is so rare that the CDC has no recommendations on how to prevent it. However, there have been cases of sinusitis and nasal irrigation. In all of these cases, the patients had weakened immune systems.
Due to risk of infection Acanthamoeba or other pathogens, the CDC recommends rinsing the nose only with boiled, sterile, or distilled water.
What is it: according to data One of the most dangerous waterborne infections is typhoid, which kills about 110,000 people each year, according to the World Health Organization. The disease is caused by bacteria Salmonella enterica TyphiIt causes fever, abdominal pain, and digestive symptoms such as diarrhea and constipation. Although the disease can be treated with antibiotics, the emergence of antibiotic-resistant strains makes treatment difficult and expensive, according to the World Health Organization. About 1% to 4% of infected people are asymptomatic but still shed bacteria in their urine and feces, contributing to the silent spread of the disease.
How to avoid this: Typhoid vaccines are recommended for people living in and traveling to areas where typhoid is endemic. Drink bottled or purified water from sanitary sources. WHO also recommends avoiding raw milk. Even in developed countries, unpasteurized milk S. Typhi and other bacteria that you don’t want to attract into your gut.
What it is: It’s like a horror movie: Swim in a lake or ocean, come out with a flesh-eating infection. Necrotizing fasciitis is a group of infections caused by various bacteria that attack soft tissue. These infections can occur whenever there is a break in the skin, including after surgery. In most cases, bacteria are the culprit Staphylococcus aureus And Streptococcusbut other bacteria can also become “carnivorous”. In freshwater, bacteria of this genus Aeromonas can cause flesh-eating infections, and the usual culprit in ocean water is a bacteria According to Vibrio vulnificus Indiana University School of Medicine.
How to avoid this Most people who experience necrotizing fasciitis have a weakened immune system due to diseases such as diabetes. Doctors recommend staying away from water if you have an open wound, especially if you have a medical condition that weakens your immune response.
What it is: A terrible parasitic infection caused by a worm, the guinea worm Dracunculus medinensisThe disease primarily affects Angola, Chad, Ethiopia, Mali, South Sudan and Sudan, according to the CDC, and is a disease found in rural areas where drinking water may come from ponds or other fixed sources.
According to the CDC, the parasitic worm releases its larvae into water, where they are ingested by tiny, nearly microscopic crustaceans called copepods. If a person accidentally swallows some of these copepods through drinking water, the worm will develop inside the human body; after about a year, the skin will scab over and the mature female worm, up to 3 feet (1 meter) long, will slowly and painfully emerge. A deep wound left by the worm can easily become infected.
How to avoid this: Do not drink unfiltered water in a country where marine worms are endemic (especially in Sub-Saharan Africa). The good news is that, thanks to more than 40 years of international efforts to improve water sanitation and Guinea worm treatment, Guinea worm is on the verge of extinction. (It is important to keep the newborn worms out of bodies of water, as contact with water will cause the female to release hundreds of thousands of larvae.) In the mid-1980s, about 3.5 million human cases were reported annually in 20 countries, according to data from the World Health Organization. By 2023, there were only 14 cases, according to the Carter Center.
Source: Port Altele
As an experienced journalist and author, Mary has been reporting on the latest news and trends for over 5 years. With a passion for uncovering the stories behind the headlines, Mary has earned a reputation as a trusted voice in the world of journalism. Her writing style is insightful, engaging and thought-provoking, as she takes a deep dive into the most pressing issues of our time.
