Waterborne Disease

Waterborne diseases are caused by pathogenic microorganisms which are directly transmitted when contaminated drinking water is consumed. Contaminated drinking water, used in the preparation of food, can be the source of foodborne disease through consumption of the same microorganisms. According to the World Health Organization, diarrheal disease accounts for an estimated 4.1% of the total global burden of disease and is responsible for the deaths of 1.8 million people every year. It was estimated that 88% of that burden is attributable to unsafe water supply, sanitation and hygiene, and is mostly concentrated in children in developing countries. Waterborne disease can be caused by protozoa, viruses, bacteria, and intestinal parasites. For more, go to the World Health Organization (WHO) website Water Sanitation and Health at http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/en/ . And take a look at a wonderful website, Tracking Down the Roots of Our Sanitary Sewers at http://www.sewerhistory.org/ . The purpose of this website is to house this dynamic collection of materials about the evolutionary development of sewers over the past 5500 years, and to provide a location for the sharing and distribution of information to others. The donation of additional photos, sketches, articles, books, or other sources of historical information on the history of sewers is welcome. This clip is from the 1994 National Science Foundation video, Sludge Management - An Integrated Approach, available at the Internet Archive.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• waterborne
• disease
• public
• health
• sewers
• human
• waste
• pollution
• EPA
• CDC
• WHO
• sanitation
• earth
• day