Introduction
The pathogenic microbes that contaminate water are transmitted to the host organism-man, upon the consumption of non-portable water.
Invasion of freshwater by disease-causing microbes act as a fertile ground for food-borne- diseases. Diarrheal diseases normally occur as a result of drinking water from unsafe supply, poor sanitation, and hygiene. Etiologic agents for most water-borne diseases are protozoa, viruses, and bacteria.
Protozoal infections include Amoebiasis, Cryptosporidiosis, Cyclosporiasis, Giardiasis and Microsporidiosis. Sources of causative agents in the water supply associated with these protozoal infections include sewage, untreated drinking water supply, animal manure, surface run-offs during heavy downpours, poor disinfection, pipe breaks, and groundwater contamination, amongst others. The infections symptoms of protozoan are abdominal discomfort, weight loss, flu, fever, and watery diarrhea, and muscle ache, loss of appetite, feeling of nausea, emaciation, and bloating. Water-borne diseases caused by parasites include schistosomiasis, Taeniasis, Fasciolopsiasis, Ascariasis and Enterobiasis. Bacterial waterborne infections include cholera, botulism, dysentery, leptospirosis, salmonellosis and typhoid fever. Viral waterborne infections include polyomavirus infection, polio, hepatitis A, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, gastroenteritis and adenovirus infections (Reynolds 192).
Policy issues
Relevant government departments concerned with public health should ensure that agencies that deal with water-borne diseases (for example, rural water supply and sanitation programs) are set up to help mitigate challenges often faced by rural areas in as far as the issue of water supply is concerned. The establishment of water supply and sanitation programs at the Municipal and City set up would ensure that residents get clean water supply. There will always be proper wastewater treatment facilities. This will in effect help in avoiding the outbreak of diseases. Such bodies can also take part in garbage collection at the Municipal and City setups. Such agencies can work in partnership with the local government authorities. The government should come up with legislation that would compel food processing industries to engage in good manufacturing practices and at the same time ensure that food is always prepared under aseptic conditions. Water used for food processing should be treated and has to be of the assured quality. The government should ensure that there is no further ingestion of contaminated water or food in the event of an outbreak of water-borne infections. Relevant government departments should also withdraw from the consumer shelf foods implicated with food-borne infections. Such legislation should be implemented by public health officials upon their visit to these institutions to ensure the required conditions are met. The government in cooperation with relevant international health agencies should ensure that vaccines for known waterborne infections are made accessible to the public. Health centers and hospitals should be well equipped to deal with any outbreak of these infections. The government and international health bodies should synergize their disease surveillance and forecasting systems to ensure enough preparedness in case of an outbreak.
Individual input
As citizens, we should work hand-in-hand with the relevant authorities to ensure that policies formulated to help check the spread and occurrence of water-borne infections are achieved. We should ensure that before drinking water, it is supposed to be boiled. Waste should be properly disposed of. We should avoid taking of food that is not properly cooked. It should be the responsibility of every individual to ensure that they use safe water sources.
Conclusion
A lot of individuals think that that issues related to health should be the responsibility of the government. However, problems that are related to waterborne diseases require the input of both the government and the citizens. Until cooperation between the two parties is achieved, there is the likelihood of losing many lives through waterborne infections.
Works Cited
Reynolds, Kelly, A., Mena, Kristina, D. & Gerba, Charles, P. Risk of waterborne illness via drinking Water in the United States. Tucson: UAP, 2000. Print.