Water is essential to human life. Unfortunately we share our water sources with (at least) hundreds of microorganisms known to cause infectious disease. By a conservative estimate, 4 percent of all deaths and 6 percent of the total disease burden can be attributed to diseases that live in water, are dispersed by water or are in some other way associated with the precious resource.
Recently, Ohio State scientists set out to study the relationship between humans and water-linked diseases more closely. They compared records from nearly 2 decades of disease outbreak data with socio-environmental factors, such as population density, weather stats and per-capita gross domestic product (GDP).
They found that disease outbreaks linked to water occur most often in areas where a region’s population density is growing. This was true of several categories of water diseases, which included many NTDs. The study also pinpointed outbreak “hot spots” where water-borne disease outbreaks were likely to occur.
It’s no surprise that there is a strong link between human behavior, the environment and the incidence of disease. The most recent study, which was published in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, is just the beginning of research that shows in greater detail how these factors are related. It is hoped that this type of research could inform policymakers as they distribute health resources to control and prevent water-associated disease outbreaks.
More information can be found in this press release from Ohio State University.
