Waterborne
Diseases
Waterborne diseases are caused by
pathogenic microbes that can be directly spread through contaminated water.
Most waterborne diseases cause diarrhealillness. Eighty-eight percent of
diarrhea cases worldwide are linked to unsafe water, inadequate sanitation or
insufficient hygiene. These cases result in 1.5 million deaths each year,
mostly in young children. The usual cause of death is dehydration. Most cases
of diarrheal illness and death occur in developing countries because of unsafe
water, poor sanitation, and insufficient
