Tips on keeping you and your family safe from waterborne illnesses

Waterborne illnesses and pathogens are, unfortunately, a fact of life. Thankfully, we have infrastructure in place in many parts of the world to protect us from them. 

However, nobody is immune, even in developed countries. Exposure to contaminated water (even by touch) can lead to a range of illnesses. And, unfortunately, the prevalence of waterborne illnesses is expected to increase due to climate change. 

(We discussed this in our blog post about countries with poor access to drinking water.)

Common symptoms of water borne illness are gastrointestinal, for example diarrhea and/or stomach cramps. 

Here are some practical tips to keep you and your family safe from such illnesses, whether you’re at home or abroad.

These illnesses are caused by viruses and bacteria, which are microscopic organisms. They are ingested through contaminated food or water or by coming in contact with feces. 

Common examples are: 

This disease affects over 9 million people worldwide per year. Highly contagious, it can spread through contaminated food, unsafe water or poor sanitation. Symptoms include fever, fatigue and digestion issues.

It can be treated with antibiotics and prevented with a vaccine. 

E. coli is complicated. It exists within many healthy humans and animals. And even some unwelcome strains cause only minor illnesses, such as relatively brief diarrhea.

However, some strains (such as E. coli O157:H7) are much more serious, causing severe stomach cramps, bloody diarrhea and vomiting.

This disease can be contracted from unpasteurised milk, and undercooked food such as vegetables and ground beef.

Parasites, unfortunately, love contaminated food. So, firstly, wash food, when necessary.

This means:

•  Washing or peeling raw vegetables and fruits.
• Not mixing raw meat with cooked foods.
• Only consuming pasteurized dairy products (e.g. milk, yogurt, cheese and ice cream).
• Ensuring dishes and silverware are always clean before use.
• Regularly clean and disinfect 

Thoroughly wash your hands (and teach your kids to do the same) regularly. Especially do so after using the bathroom, changing a diaper (or cleaning up a child who has used the bathroom), after handling animals, after cleaning up animal waste, and after gardening.

It’s also important to wash hands before and after preparing food and eating.

For more information on this subject, we wrote a guide to the importance of  hand washing.

Water is the essence of life, as we mentioned in our blog post about  the importance of drinking water.

Unfortunately, water is also the perfect vessel for bacteria, so it helps to be aware of waterborne pathogens and where the risks lie.

This means avoiding swallowing water from the ocean, swimming pools, rivers, and lakes.

Many of these illnesses can happen while travelling. So, avoid tap water and ice when visiting a high-risk destination, unless you know that the water source has been properly treated. Often, bottled water is the safest solution.

Most people in the western world are relatively safe from waterborne illnesses. And this safety can continue with a little attention and vigilance. 

You can also share information with your children on water management (as discussed in our post, Educating Kids on Water Management) and on the importance of safe water sources (with our family-focused post, Why Clean Water Matters). 

Get in touch today to explore our international health insurance plans and stay protected wherever you are.