Sanitation and Wastewater Atlas of Africa

Table 4.1. Water-related diseases

Waterborne pathogens - improve water quality

S HAPE

C LASS

P ATHOGEN NAME

D ISEASE

I NFECTION SOURCE

C ONTROL STRATEGY

Virus - a small infectious agent that replicates only inside the living cells of an organism.

Vaccination; safe drinking water and food; handwashing

Hepatitis A & E

Faeces

Viral hepatitis - liver inflammation and damage

Handwashing; vaccination

Faeces

Rotavirus

Diarrhoea

Handwashing

Adenovirus

Diarrhoea

Faeces Respiratory secretions

Bacteria

Thoroughly cooking food Handwashing

Diarrhoea

Intestinal tract of warm-blooded animals

Campylobacter

- are microscopic, single-celled organisms that thrive in diverse environments. These organisms can live in soil, the ocean and inside the human gut.

Safe drinking water and food

Faeces

Cholera Diarrhoea

Vibrio cholerae

Handwashing

Faeces

Shigellosis Diarrhoea

Shigella dysenteriae

Thoroughly cooking food Handwashing

Faeces

Diarrhoea

Salmonella enterica

Handwashing Safe drinking water and food

Faeces

Diarrhoea

Escherichia coli

Protozoa

- are single celled organisms. They live in a wide variety of moist habitats including freshwater, marine environments and the soil.

Amoebic dysentery

Entamoeba

Handwashing

Faeces

Handwashing Safe drinking water and food

Watery diarrhoea

Crytosporidium

Faeces

Safe drinking water and food

Diarrhoea

Cyclospora cayetanensis

Faeces

Handwashing Safe food

Diarrhoea

Enterocytozoon bieneusi

Animal faeces; human faeces; inhalation

Handwashing Safe food

Watery diarrhoea

Giardia

Faeces

Mild diarrhoea; abdominal discomfort; low-grade fever

Isospora belli

Safe drinking water and food

Faeces

Helminths

- are worm-like parasites that survive by feeding on a living host to gain nourish- ment and protection, sometimes resulting in illness of the host.

Handwashing

Ascaris lumbricoides (roundworm)

Intestinal worm infection

Faeces

Handwashing

Enterobius vermicularis (pin worm)

Intestinal worm infection

Faeces

Handwashing

Hymenolepis (tape worm)

Intestinal worm infection

Faeces

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SANITATION AND WASTEWATER ATLAS OF AFRICA