Water Borne Diseases- List, Risks, and Prevention

By Medical Expert Team

Jan 24 , 2022 | 2 min read

Do you know why the intake of purified water is emphasized so much? It is because certain diseases can be caused due to intake of contaminated water. Let's talk about some waterborne conditions, their risks, and their prevention.

Here is the list of some of the waterborne diseases-

Typhoid fever

Typhoid fever is caused by Salmonella Typhi bacteria and can affect many organs. If you don't take the proper treatment, it can lead to various complications and even death?

Symptoms of Typhoid Fever

Don't neglect symptoms of typhoid fever such as-

High-grade fever
General body ache
You can have watery diarrhoea due to this, leading to dehydration.
Sweating
Dry Cough
Fatigue
Loss of appetite
Constipation.

Acute Gastroenteritis

Acute Gastroenteritis is another bacterial infection. You can have watery diarrhoea due to this, leading to dehydration. If you ignore it, it can prove to be fatal.

Symptoms of Acute Gastroenteritis

Watery Diarrhoea (Rice Water Coloured)
Vomiting
Dehydration- Signs of dehydration are-
Low BP
Rapid heart rate
Muscle cramps
Sunken eyes
Dry skin
Dry mouth
Extreme thirst
Little or no urination
Fatigue
Irritability

Giardiasis

Giardiasis is a waterborne infection caused by a parasite known as Giardia Lamba.

Symptoms of Giardiasis

It affects the small intestine and causes the following symptoms-

Diarrhea – postprandial (after food)
Loss of appetite
Abdominal pain
Nausea
Vomiting

Dysentery (Amoebasis)

Dysentery is the inflammation of the intestine, particularly the colon and can be caused by bacteria or parasites.

Symptoms of Dysentery (Amoebasis)

It causes symptoms such as-

Blood or mucus in faeces.
Incomplete evacuation
Repeated urge to pass stools
Abdominal pain during passing stools
Fatigue

Escherichia Coli Infection (Food Poisoning)

E. Coli usually normally lives in your gut and is harmless. But some strains can cause diarrhoea if you get exposed to contaminated water or food.

Symptoms of Escherichia Coli Infection

Some of the symptoms of E coli infection are-

Watery to bloody diarrhoea
Stomach cramps
Vomiting
Fatigue
Low grade fever

Hepatitis A & E

Hepatitis A is an infection of the liver caused by the Hepatitis A virus. It is not necessary that symptoms will appear if you get infected with the hepatitis A virus.

Symptoms of Hepatitis A & E

But if you get symptoms, usually after 3-4 weeks, they are

Low-grade fever
Sudden nausea
Vomiting
Fatigue
Loss of appetite
Yellowing of the skin and eyes
Light colored stools
Dark urine
Itching

Polio

Most people suffering from polio don't have any symptoms.

Symptoms of Polio

However, a fraction of the infected people show flu-like symptoms such as-

Fever
Back pain
Sore throat
Neck pain
Headache
Nausea
Stomach pain.

A smaller fraction of the infected population will show more severe symptoms of brain and spinal cord damage such as-

Paresthesia- numbness of extremities
Paralysis
Meningitis(inflammation of layer covering the brain and spinal cord)

Cholera

Cholera is yet another bacterial infection and is caused by Vibrio Cholerae. You can have watery diarrhoea due to this, leading to dehydration. If you ignore it, it can prove to be fatal.
The symptoms are the same as Acute Gastroenteritis.