Emerging issues in water and infectious disease

This publication aims to broaden awareness of emerging issues in water and infectious disease and to guide readers to sources of information that deal with these issues in greater depth. Infectious, water-related diseases are a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Investigating important emerging issues in this area and communicating discoveries are addressed by an initiative being taken by the World Health Organization (WHO), and collaborators. Although a significant proportion of diseases are caused by 'classical' water-related pathogens, newly-recognized pathogens and new strains of established pathogens are being discovered that present important additional challenges to both the water and public health sectors. Amongst the 35 new agents of disease discovered between 1972 and 1999 are pathogens that may be transmitted by water. Understanding why pathogens emerge or re-emerge is fundamental to effective water resource management, drinking-water treatment and delivery, and has become a priority for many national and international organizations. It is also important to be able to gauge the risk from any emerging disease. The perceived severity of risk and significance of an emerging infectious disease may be so far removed from reality that there is potential for inappropriate allocation of resources. This can have repercussions for countries at all stages of development.