Man Mohan Harjai
Waterborne diseases are those that are transmitted by drinking unhealthy water. In view of recent floods in Jammu and Kashmir, resulting contamination of water, it is necessary to know about common water borne diseases and take necessary preventive measures. Unfortunately, they are a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Following are the common water borne diseases:
Diarrhoea – remains the most prevalent water related disease in India. It mostly affects children under the age of five and often leads to death. The infection spreads through food and drinking water that has been contaminated. A diarrhoeal attack can last up to two weeks and leave the person completely dehydrated. Symptoms of diarrhoea include, severe dizziness, loss of consciousness, dehydration and pale skin, little or no urination and in some case bloody stool. Diarrhoea can spread through multiple viruses that are found in contaminated water. The poorer sections of the society come in daily contact with this water and that is the why the rate of diarrhoea is highest amongst them.
Cholera – Thousands of people fall prey to cholera every year in India. Cholera is a water related disease, and is diarrhoeal in nature. It can kill in hours if left unattended. Cholera strikes when one ingests water that is infested with the Vibrio Cholerae bacterium. Symptoms of cholera include watery bowels and fever in certain cases. Cholera can happen to both children and adults. In India cholera related deaths are most common in places with shortage of good quality water.
Malaria – or Malarial fever is spread by the Plasmodium parasite mosquito that breeds in water bodies like lakes and paddy fish. Stagnant water is another favourite breeding ground for these deadly parasites. Malaria mostly kills children in India, as adults slowly form some sort of immunity against the parasite, over the years. Malarial fever symptoms include fevers, chills, headaches and vomiting. Sometimes these symptoms are also coupled with anaemia. A malarial infection shows only after a week has passed. Therefore, treating it immediately is a necessity.
Japanese Encephalitis – is a water related disease that is caused by the Culex Tritaeniorhynchus and Culex Vishnui type of mosquitoes. These mosquitoes’ favourite breeding ground is water flooded paddy fields. Therefore, Japanese encephalitis is majorly found in the agricultural regions of India.
The Japanese encephalitis virus attacks children the most and in some cases this water related disease can lead to death. The symptoms of Japanese encephalitis include fever, vomiting, headaches and in acute cases, coma, seizures and finally death. The vaccine for Japanese encephalitis is very expensive therefore most of the economically backward families in India cannot afford it.
Filariasis – is a parasitic disease and affects people who live near unsanitary water bodies or sewages. It spread by mosquitoes that breeds in fresh and stagnant water bodies and is the host of the filarial nematode worm. This worm affects humans and leads to elephantitis. Filariasis can lead to blindness, and rapid skin pigmentation and the filarial worms can affects various parts of the body. It is a concern for the rural population in India whose major occupation is agriculture. Although Filariasis can be treated and prevented with oral medicines, lack of medicines in rural India leads to severe disfiguration in many cases.
Dengue Fever – is another viral disease that spreads through mosquito bites. Dengue infections begin with fever, rash, chills, bodyache and can be indistinguishable from the other fevers. Some of these cases turn serious to become Dengue haemorrhagic fever, and need critical care because they can be fatal, if left undiagnosed or untreated.
Leptospirosis – This disease spreads through germs that inhabit sewers and gutters. During floods, most gutters overflow. Also, people often have to wade through water to reach their destination after heavy downpours. The germs in such waters can enter the body through cuts and wounds, resulting in high fever and jaundice. Treatment prevents complication, though fatalities are known. There is no vaccine against this disease. Prevention and treatment with antibiotics is
recommended.
(The auther is SEMO Jammu Cantt)
