Water-bor

ne
WATER-BORNE
DISEASE???
Water or food contaminated with germs,
chemicals, or toxins are ingested through
drinking, breathing, touching of eye, skin, ears, or
other mucous membranes (Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention).
Mode of Transmission:

Via fecal-oral route

Microscopic fecal particles make their
way into water and food, especially
after flooding where sewage plants fail and
release copious amounts of untreated
waste (Saleh, 2020).
FOOD HAZARDS TO
LOOK OUT FOR
 Biological foodborne illness
most common
caused by a large number of pathogens (e.g. norovirus)

Chemical Illness
substances that do not belong in food but can contaminate
through carelessness, malicious intent, or just by touching (e.g.
bleach)

Physical foodborne illness

from foreign objects (e.g. splinters, glass and metal
fragments, pebbles or bone fragments)

BC Centre for Disease Control

 SIGNS
AND
SYMPTOMS
Nausea
Vomiting
Cramps
Diarrhea
Fever

Broken teeth, or internal bleeding (foreign objects)

Burns in the stomach and intestines (chemicals)

Excessive thirst

Sunken eyeballs/fontanel
 IMMEDIATE
TREATMENT
 Contact doctor if diarrhea contains blood!

Drink safe water

Rest

Take over-the-counter diarrheal medication

Give oral rehydration solution (Homemade solution: 1 tsp

of salt, 8 tsp of sugar, mix to 1 L of water)

Continue feeding

Lifewater.org
PREVENTION
Drink water only from safe sources. If unsure, boil water or do
chlorination.

Eat only foods that are well cooked and properly prepared. Avoid
eating street vended food.

Keep the food away from insects and rats by covering them using
food cover.

Wash fruits and vegetables with clean water before eating or

cooking.

Use toilet when defecating.

Wash your hands before eating and after using the toilet.
Breastfeeding

• Exclusively breasted infants

0 to 6 months old.
• The more you breastfeed, the more milk you produce.
• Breast milk provides the entire
nutrients and water needs of • If the infant is separated from the mother,
infants from 0 to 6 months old. ask the assistance of another breastfeeding mother.
Also best for children up to
2 years of age and beyond. • Give nutritious food in addition to breastfeeding.
• Breastfeeding helps protect
infants from certain diseases
and disease conditions such as
diarrhea.
 SOME
WATER-BORNE
DISEASES
CHOLERA

Signs and Symptoms:

Profuse watery diarrhea (rice-water)
Vomiting
Thirst
Leg cramp
Restlessness/irritability
Rapid heart rate
Loss of skin elasticity
Signs of Dehydration
Dry mucous membranes
Low blood pressure

https://www.cdc.gov/cholera/illness.html
CHOLERA

Acute diarrhea caused by certain strains of Vibrio cholerae. Cholera toxin is

secreted by Vibrio cholerae, which activates adenylyl cyclase, and enzyme
located in the epithelial cells of the small intestine, thus producing
hypersecretion of water and chloride ion in the gut leading to profuse
diarrhea.

Severe fluid loss quickly results in hypovolemic shock.

In extreme cases, cholera is a rapidly fatal disease. A healthy individual may

die with 2-3 hours if no treatment is provided.

https://www.cdc.gov/cholera/illness.html
TYPHOID FEVER

A bacterial infection that can spread throughout the body, affecting many
organs.

Without prompt treatment, it can cause serious complications and can be

fatal.

Caused by Salmonella typhi (causes food poisoning)

Highly contagious
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/typhoid-fever/
TYPHOID FEVER

Signs and Symptoms:

Persistent high temperature
Headache
General aches and pains
Fatigue
Cough
Constipation
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/typhoid-fever/
COVID-19
CORONA VIRUS DISEASE 2019
Caused by SARS-CoV-2

Discovered in December 2019 in Wuhan, China

VERY CONTAGIOUS AND QUICKLY SPREAD AROUND

THE WORLD

Most often causes respiratory symptoms that can feel like

a cold, flu, or pneumonia

Part of the coronavirus family (SARS and MERS)

Spread quickly through droplets that you project out of

your mouth or nose when you breathe, cough, sneeze, or
speak.
 A variant is a viral genome
(genetic code) that may contain
one or more mutations. A group
of variants with similar genetic
changes (lineage or groups of
lineages), may be designated by
public health organizations
(Variant of Concern or Variant of
Interest)

due to shared attributes and

characteristics that may require
public health action.
 Variant Being Monitored (VBM) Variant of Concern (VOC)
Alpha (B.1.1.7 and Q lineages)
Beta (B.1.352 and descendent lineages)
Gamma (P.1 and descendent lineages)
Delta (B.1.617.2 and AY lineages)
Epsilon (B.1.427 and B.1.429)
Eta (B.1.525)
Iota (B.1.526)
Kappa (B.1.617.1)
1.617.3
Omicron (B.1.1.529 and BA lineages)
Mu (B.1.621, B.1.621.1)
Zeta (P.2)
Pango Lineage: B.1.617.2 and
AY lineages

First Identified: India

Attributes:
Increased transmissibility
Susceptible to Emergency Use
Authority (EUA) monoclonal
Antibody treatments.

May cause more severe cases

than the other variants
Pango Lineage: B.1.1.529 and BA
lineages
First Identified: South Africa

Attributes:

Potential increased transmissibility

Potential reduction in neutralization
by some EUA monoclonal antibody
treatments
Spreads more easily

It is expected that anyone with

Omicron infection can spread the
virus to others, even if they are
vaccinated or don’t have symptoms
Can present symptoms similar to
previous variants. The presence and
severity of symptoms can be affected
by COVID-19 vaccination status,
the presence of other health
conditions, age, and history of prior infection.
Generally causes less severe disease
than infection with prior.
May cause more mild disease
Large volume of cases could overwhelm
the healthcare system