Water Related Diseases

Water-related diseases can be placed into four categories: (1) water-based disease, (2) waterborne disease (3) water-vectored disease, and (4) Water-washed disease. Infectious microbes that cause disease within these categories include bacteria, enteric viruses, parasitic protozoans, helminthes, and algae. The health effects of infection vary considerably, from symptomless to temporary mild illness to prolonged illness to death. Each category represents a distinct pathway and mechanism for infection by a microbial pathogen. Symptoms of infection, such as gastrointestinal upset, may be common across categories. The categories represent differences in strategies that can be applied to control the prevalence of infection. Keywords: malaria; fecal–oral cycle; parasites; enteric viruses; bacteria