Waterborne Disease

WATERBORNE DISEASE There are several categories of diseases that all relate to, or occur, due to water. Waterborne disease usually occurs due to the ingestion of contaminated water. And in some cases it's not just a single disease, but a disease outbreak. Infographic by RACHEL KEAVENY THE CAUSE Waterborne disease, which can be bacterial, parasitic, viral, or chemical, occurs due to exposure to one of these three types of water: RECREATIONAL WATER NON-RECREATIONAL WATER DRINKING WATER • swimming pools • hot tu bs • etc. • water not intended for drinking • water of unknown intent • tap water • well water • etc. DEFINING THE TERM WATERBORNE DISEASE: COMMON TYPES: COMMON SYMPTOMS: • Disease caused by pathogenic microbes which can directly spread through contaminated water • Can be bacterial, parasitic, • E coli • Legionellosis • Salmonella • Abdominal pain • Dehydration • Diarrhea • Vomiting • Nausea Headache Cryptosporidiosis • Chills • Fever viral, or chemicai BACTERIAL PARASITIC VIRAL CHEMICAL 4-33 million 40,000 $970 million DIARRHEAL ILLNESS EPISODES HOSPITALIZATIONS DOLLAR COST per year in the U.S. from exposure to contaminated drinking water per year in the U.S. due to waterborne disease per year as a result of these hospitalizations A MAJOR SOURCE: GROUND WATER GROUND WATER- water that is Ground water contaminants can of all available freshwater in the U.S. comes from ground water. This supplies a signifi- located below the surface of the occur naturally, but are very often earth between rock and soil. It supplies water to wells and springs and is a very significant 30% the result of human activities. This contamination often leads to cant amount of water to com- munity water systems and pri- vate wells. waterborne disease/waterborne source of water in the U.S. disease outbreak. WATERBORNE DISEASE OUTBREAKS Waterborne disease outbreak occurs when a cluster of two or more infections are caused by the same agents and linked to the same water exposure. Records from 1971 until now show a steady increase in recreational water out- breaks, and several increases and decreases in drinking water outbreaks. 100 DRINKING WATER/NON RECREATIONAL RECREATIONAL WATER 80 60 47 40 33 '71 '75 '80 '85 '90 '95 '00 '05 '10 SOURCE: CDC Surveillance Reports from 1971-2010 of reported drinking water disease 54% outbreaks (between 1971 -2006) were related to ground water due to ground due to the use > (23% 31% water treatment of untreated deficiencies ground water DRINKING WATER TODAY Between 2009-2010, there were 47 recreational water outbreaks, and 33 drinking water/non-recreational water outbreaks in the U.S. The water source for a large majority of the drinking water outbreaks was ground water. 33 OUTBREAKS associated with drinking 20 17 water/non-recreational water 17 STATES 10 with disease outbreaks, several with multiple 10 1/2 4 OF THESE OUTBREAKS had a similar source: GROUND WATER MIXED GROUND WATER SURFACE UNKNOWN SOURCES: www.cdc.gov, www.cdc.gov/features/groundwaterawareness, www.cdc.gov/mmwr, www.cdc.gov/healthywater/surveillance/drinking-surveillance-reports.html WOTER Information graphic by Rachel Keaveny PROJECT ↑ 15 20