The World’s Most Common Water-Related Diseases

Written by corsivalab on 3rd April 2024

In Singapore, we’re now counting the numbers of more than one outbreak. As we strive to bring the coronavirus caseload under control, cases of dengue fever have increased significantly in recent weeks. As lock-down eases, we have to be more cautious outside than ever before, as the National Environmental Agency (NEA) expects this to be the worst dengue outbreak in Singapore’s history, believing it will exceed the 2013 record high of over 22,000 cases.

The aedes mosquito, responsible for dengue, breeds in stagnant water, making dengue a water-related disease, and more specifically a vector-borne disease. In addition to water’s importance for life and growth, when unclean, it has the potential to cause serious threats to daily living.

There are a plethora of water-related diseases that are a danger to quality of life around the world. To best examine these diseases, we begin by understanding the 4 categories of water-related diseases.

Water-borne diseases: infections spread through contaminated drinking water
Water-washed diseases: diseases due to the lack of proper sanitation and hygiene
Water-based diseases: infections transmitted through an aquatic invertebrate organisms
Vector-borne diseases: diseases transmitted by insects that depend on water for propagation

WATER- BORNE DISEASES
We begin with Water-borne diseases, infections that are spread through the consumption of contaminated water. The table below briefly summarizes the key points of the diseases. If you would like to know more, check out our slideshow below!

Disease	Description	Major Symptoms	Areas At-Risk
Cholera	Acute diarrheal infection caused by the ingestion of food or water contaminated by bacterium Vibrio cholerae	– Severe acute watery diarrhea – Vomiting – Rapid heart rate – Muscle cramps	– Africa – Latin America – Asia – Europe – Oceania
Typhoid fever	Bacterial infection caused by ingesting water containing urine or feces contaminated with Salmonella typhi	– High temperature – Headache – Stomach ache – Diarrhea – Rash	– Africa – South Asia – Southeast Asia, – South America
Cryptosporidiosis	Diarrheal infection caused by the parasite cryptosporidium	– Watery diarrhea – Stomach cramps or pain – Dehydration – Nausea and vomiting	– Worldwide
Viral Gastroenteritis	Known as the stomach flu, it is an intestinal infection caused by several different viruses.	– Watery diarrhea – Abdominal cramps – Nausea or vomiting – Occasional muscle aches or headache – Low-grade fever	– Worldwide
Hepatitis A	A liver disease caused by the Hepatitis A Virus (HAV),	– Fever – Malaise – Diarrhea – Abdominal discomfort – Dark-coloured urine – Jaundice	– Africa, – Asia – Central and South America – Middle East, – Western Pacific
Hepatitis E	A liver disease, caused by the Hepatitis E Virus (HEV)	– Initial phase of mild fever – Nausea and vomiting – Abdominal pain, itching, skin rash or joint pain – Jaundice – Slightly enlarged, tender live (hepatomegaly)	– Worldwide, but particularly in South and East Asia
Giardiasis	An intestinal infection caused by a microscopic parasite	– Watery diarrhea that may alternate with soft, greasy stools – Fatigue or malaise – Abdominal cramps and bloating – Gas or flatulence	– Worldwide

WATER-WASH DISEASES
The next type of diseases we will explore is Water-Wash diseases. Sometimes referred to as water-scarce diseases, these diseases are the result of a lack water to help individuals maintain good standards of personal hygiene.

Disease	Description	Major Symptoms	Areas At-Risk
Dysentry	An infection of the intestines, most often caused by the Shigella bacteria	– Stomach cramps – Diarrhea with blood or mucus – Vomiting – Very high fevers	– Worldwide and particularly in developing countries
Trachoma	A bacterial disease, caused by the Chlamydia trachomatis that causes eye infections	– Mild itching and irritation of eyes and eyelids – Eye Discharge – Eyelid swelling – Light sensitivity	-Worldwide, but endemic in Africa, Asia, Central and South America, Australia and the Middle East
Amoebiasis	Parasitic disease resulting in diarrhea	– Diarrhea – Gastrointestinal symptoms – Fatigue – Weight loss – Fever	– Worldwide, most common in South East and West Asia, Latin America, Mexico and China
Poliomyelitis	A highly infectious disease caused by the Poliovirus that can be deadly for sufferers	– Fever – Fatigue – Vomiting – Stiffness in neck – Pain in limbs	– Middle East

VECTOR-BORNE DISEASES
The next category of water-related diseases are vector-borne diseases. These diseases depend on other organisms that specifically require water as a medium to reproduce.

Disease	Description	Major Symptoms	Areas At-Risk
Dengue	A viral disease spread by the Aedes mosquito that causes fever.	– Severe headache – Pain behind the eyes – Joint pains – Nausea/Vomiting – Swollen glands – Rash.	– Worldwide
Malaria	A parasitic disease spread by the Anopheles mosquito resulting in a high number of deaths	– Fever – Chills – Headache -Nausea/vomiting - Muscle pain/Fatigue	– Disproportionate high numbers in Africa – South-East Asia – Eastern Mediterranean – Western Pacific – America

WATER-BASED DISEASES

The final category we will highlight one water-based disease, although there are more. These diseases are spread by the consumption of various uncooked or raw marine invertebrate.

Disease	Description	Major Symptoms	Areas At-Risk
Vibrio Illness	A bacterial illness caused by the Vibrio vulnificus bacteria that has claimed many lives	– Watery diarrhea – stomach cramping – nausea, vomiting – fever – Dangerously low blood pressure	– Most prominent outbreaks in South America

CONCLUSION

Did you notice a common factor between these water-related diseases? Nearly all result from drinking contaminated water, producing the common symptom of diarrhea. Diarrhea, in countries with improper sanitation, can easily contaminate further water sources, thus encouraging this vicious cycle. The importance of clean drinking water cannot be further emphasized, especially in such unprecedented times.

We are offering a discount for the ROAMfilter Plus that provides access to clean drinking water for up to two years. If you know of a community or anyone in need of clean water, please fill out the contact form or visit the online store here.

Blog Author: Juliano Prastyo
Chief Editor: Michelle Falcone

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