Water is a good carrier of disease germs which are responsible for water borne diseases. These diseases fall into different categories according to the nature of organisms causing diseases. Such organisms may be bacteria, protozoa viruses, worms and fungi.

Following diseases are caused by the respective organisms

• Diseases caused by bacteria

  (a) Cholera - by - vibrio — cholerae

  (b) Typhoid fever

  (c) Paratyphoid fever

  (d) Bacillary dysentery

  (e) Gastro-enteritis.

• Diseases caused by viral infection

  (a) Poliomyelitis

  (b) Infectious hepatitis (Jaundice).

• Diseases caused by protozal infections - Amoebic dysentery.

• Diseases caused by Helminthic (Worm).

  The micro-organisms responsible for spreading these diseases, enter the human body with food and water which might have been contaminated by the patients with the disease or of carriers of the germs.

  Shallow well waters in villages often get such contamination due to leakage of waste water from nearby cesspools. In cities sewer pipeline may leak near the water carriage line and leakage may find entry through faulty and leaky joints thereby contaminating the water supply.

  Preventive Measures

• Water supply lines and sewage pipelines should not be laid on the same side of the road.

• Water supplies of the town should be thoroughly checked and disinfected before supplying to public

• Distribution pipe network of water supply should be often inspected, tested anc repaired for leakages.

• The general habit of cleanliness must be inculcated amongst the people.

• The fly nuisance in the town should be controlled and kept minimum by genera cleanliness and spraying insecticides from time to time.