Don T Drink That Water

DON’T DRINK THAT WATER!!

Only 47 percent of sub-Saharan Africans have access to potable water. However, unlike the polluted waters of the United States, Germany, China, India, Mexico or so many other nations it’s not man’s fault. The main danger in Africa’s water supply is caused by nature. Unlike the waters of Israel which is polluted by industries dumping toxic wastes into the water, most of Africa has polluted water simply due to Mother Nature. Not only do these natural contaminants cause health risks and lower life expectancies, but these natural pollutants also severely damage the economy of Africa. No good water equals no good business. You can’t have trade and industry without water!!! Good news is that Africans do not have to worry about cancer causing chemicals, toxic waste, or industrial pollution within their waters. That means only a few bugs, snails, and parasites to worry about…

Malaria is a mosquito-borne disease. Mosquitoes breed in stagnant or slow moving waters. When an infected mosquito bites a human, some of its saliva, which contains spores of the parasite, is injected into the bloodstream. Once inside the body, liver cells and red blood cells are infected. The parasite grows rapidly within the infected cells and eventually causes these cells to burst. The disease progresses rapidly in a matter of only a few weeks. Soon millions of parasite-filled red blood cells burst, dumping large amounts of toxins into the bloodstream of the victim. The toxins produce chills, fever, headache and vomiting - the symptoms of malaria. If not treated promptly with effective drugs this disease is often fatal. Malaria is preventable and curable, yet statistics show that at least one person dies from Malaria every thirty seconds – approximately ninety percent of them in Africa.

Guinea Worm Disease is a parasitic infection contracted by drinking stagnant water contaminated with tiny water fleas. The water fleas themselves are infected with the even tinier larva of the Guinea Worm. Once ingested by the human host the guinea worm grows within the host body and can reach lengths of as much as three feet. The female guinea worm will grow inside the host for several years usually alongside a bone or burrowed in connective tissue of the limbs or torso. A few years after the initial infection, the worm will exit the body usually from the leg or foot. This painful and debilitating process can last several months. Victims experience swelling of the affected limb and report severe and constant burning and stabbing sensations. People often soak the blister site (the sore formed at the worms exit point) in water in an attempt to gain some relief from the burning. This allows the worm to release its larvae into the water supply and further spread the parasite. Education in the prevention of the disease has significantly reduced the numbers of people affected. While the disease itself is not life threatening, it can result in secondary infections that cripple or cause death.

River Blindness is a parasitic disease contracted from hundreds of bites by black flies. The disease gains its name because the black flies that spread the disease breed in fast flowing rivers. It is the second most common infectious cause of blindness. The disease is transmitted to the flies when they bite an infected person and then passed along to other people the flies bite. The bite of the black fly transmits the larvae of worms that then grow and breed within the human host. The larva matures into worms that can live up to fifteen years and reach lengths approximately half a meter (about 20 inches). The resulting infections cause sores over the body, depigmentation problems in the skin (leopard skin) and blindness. There is currently no safe treatment to kill the adult worms living in the infected person, but there are medications to stop the worms from breeding within the host.

Schistosomiasis, or Snail Fever, is parasitic infection transmitted by freshwater snails. The disease is contracted while swimming, bathing or wading in waters containing the snails. The parasite enters through the victim’s skin. The parasite migrates through the body to the lungs and then as it matures into a worm works its way to the victim’s liver where the worm feeds on blood from its host. The worms may continue to migrate through the body to the kidneys, bladder and urinary tract. The worms reproduce in the host’s body laying thousands of eggs per day. The worms may live four to twenty years. While this disease is not often fatal, the condition is chronic (meaning it lasts for years or permanently). Symptoms include cough, fever, severe abdominal pain, diarrhea, and extreme enlargement of the liver and spleen. In cases where the brain and spinal cord are infested by these worms, symptoms can include brain damage and crippling loss of the use of the legs. Snail Fever affects more than 200 million people worldwide, more than half of those in Africa. Name:______Date:______class:______

Disease Location How contracted Symptoms Cure Y or N

Malaria

Guinea Worm

River Blindness

Snail Fever

3. It is obvious that the disease causing parasites located in the waters of Africa would cause life expectancies to be low within Africa. However, these diseases do not just affect life expectancies, they also impact the economy. Read the following and answer any 2 questions.

OPTIONS OF HOW TO ANSWER QUESTION: I. Write a poem that answers the questions-must be at least 15 lines II. Draw a comic strip that answers the question-10 squares minimum III. Write an essay that answers your question-1 paragraph minimum IV. Write a journal entry as a kid living in this area with the disease-Half page minimum V. Create a poster/Flyer that answers the question a. Almost half of the population in a village has River Blindness. Most of the people affected are the adults and the elderly. How will this impact the economy? b. Most of these diseases take years to develop in the body. Therefore, most of the people affected by the diseases are adults. If the children have to work to support their family, what are the children NOT doing? How does this impact a country’s GDP? c. Guinea Worm Disease and Schistosomiasis are not often fatal. However, these diseases are devastating to the economy of sub-Saharan Africa. How do these diseases and others like them destroy the economy? d. Tourism is a HUGE industry in Africa and brings in a lot of money for various countries. Which disease is mostly likely to affect the tourist industry and WHY?? e. Why does the presence of these diseases in Africa’s waters discourage investment, industry and trade in Africa? f. What can be done in Africa to prevent the spread of these common water borne diseases? Be specific with your plan.