Page 29 - Water Every Drop Counts

WATER CONTAMINATION : THE DISEASE BURDEN

Water related diseases are the most common cause of deaths. The paucity of clean water for
domestic use has led to the increase in the number of deaths in both the urban and rural parts
of developing economies. And India is no different. Deaths due to water related diseases in India
are in the range of nearly 80 percent of all deaths. Here is a list of the 5 most deadly water related
diseases that occur in India.

JAPANESE
DIARRHOEA CHOLERA MALARIA FILARIASIS
ENCEPHALITIS
Diarrhoea remains Thousands of Malaria or Japanese encephalitis Filariasis is a parasitic
the most prevalent people fall prey Malarial fever is is a water related disease and affects
water related to cholera every spread by the disease that is people who live near
disease in India. year in India. Plasmodium caused by the Culex unsanitary water
It mostly affects parasite Tritaeniorhynchus and bodies or sewages.
children under the Cholera is a mosquito that Culex Vishnui type of
age of 5 and often water related breeds in water mosquitoes. Filariasis is spread
leads to death. disease, and bodies/stagnant by mosquitoes that
is diarrhoeal in water These mosquitoes’ breeds in fresh and
Diarrhoeal infection nature. favourite breeding stagnant water bodies
is spread through Malaria mostly ground is water and is the host of
food and drinking It can kill in kills children in flooded paddy fields. the filarial nematode
water that has been hours if left India, as adults Therefore, Japanese worm. This worm
contaminated. unattended. slowly form some encephalitis is affects humans and
sort of immunity majorly found in the leads to elephantitis.
A diarrhoeal attack Cholera strikes against the agricultural regions of
can last up to 2 when one parasite over the India. Filariasis can lead to
weeks and leave the ingests water years. blindness, and rapid
person completely that is infested The Japanese skin pigmentation and
dehydrated. with the Vibrio Malarial encephalitis virus the filarial worms can
Cholerae symptoms attacks children the affects various parts of
Symptoms bacterium. include fevers most and in some the body.
include, severe chills, headache cases this water
dizziness, loss of Symptoms of and vomiting. related disease can Filariasis is a concern
consciousness, cholera include Sometimes these lead to death. for the rural population
dehydration/pale watery bowels symptoms are in India whose
skin, little or no and fever in also coupled with The symptoms of major occupation is
urination and in certain cases. anaemia. Japanese encephalitis agriculture.
some case bloody include fever,
stool. Cholera can A malarial vomiting, headache Although Filariasis
happen to both infection shows and in acute cases, can be treated and
Diarrhoea can children and only after a week coma, seizures and prevented with oral
spread through adults. has passed. finally death. medicines, lack of
multiple viruses Therefore, medicines in rural
that is found in In India cholera treating it The vaccine for India leads to severe
contaminated water. related deaths immediately is a Japanese encephalitis disfiguration in many
The poorer sections are most necessity. is very expensive cases.
of the society come common in therefore most of
in daily contact with places with the economically
this water and that is shortage of backward families in
the why the rate of good quality India cannot afford it.
diarrhoea is highest water.
amongst them.
Source : http://www.onlymyhealth.com

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