Friday, August 6, 2010

A Short Summary Of Some Diseases You Can Get From Exposure To Black Waters

By Angelica Tyler

What exactly are black waters, and what kind of health risk do they pose to someone who has been exposed to them? Keep reading for a brief summary:

To put it in simpler terms, black water is regular water that has become contaminated with decaying food matter and industrial, human, or animal waste - or all of the above. Other names for this sewage include "foul" or "brown" water. Besides finding it around industrial waste sites or sewer plants, it is also prevalent in your toilet water.

Therefore, you must take special care to wash your hands after every trip to any toilet facility you visit - including your own. By failing to do this, you open yourself - and others - to the possibility of contracting a infectious disease from the pathogens in the waste water. And, the importance of keeping children away from any type of sewage - raw or other - can't be mentioned enough, as they are particularly vulnerable to these types of illnesses. Here are just a few examples of the devastation it causes:

Campylobacteriosis - This is probably the most common infectious diarrheal illness someone can get from sewage water contamination. Most persons start to feel sick within two to five days after exposure, although there are those rare individuals who never fall ill at all.

Some of the symptoms a person may exhibit include severe diarrhea, abdominal pain and cramping, fever, chills - and in some cases, extreme nausea and vomiting. And, if a person isn't in the best of health to begin with, the symptoms can turn severe - and can even result in death, if not treated promptly.

Diarrheagenic E. Coli - Most people have heard of E. Coli bacterial infections. A person who develops this illness will usually experience nausea and vomiting, severe diarrhea, and a high fever with chills.

This illness usually runs its course within a week, and although a person might feel like death warmed over, he can normally expect a full recovery. However, in the cases of people with underlying disease conditions - and those who are elderly or very young - dehydration is a particular concern, as is kidney failure, and even death.

Encephalitis - A particularly scary offshoot of black water contamination is mosquito bite-related West Nile viral infections - which among other things can cause a person to develop a brain infection known as encephalitis. Most people bitten by carrier mosquitoes never develop full blown cases of the virus, and may just think they have come down with a very nasty flu.

But once again, if someone is elderly or very young - or if they are in bad health to begin with - the West Nile viral infection can become deadly enough to cause a person to become paralyzed, go into a coma, or even die.

So now you've learned just a few of the nasty things you can get from exposure to black waters. And, hopefully you've been reminded of the importance of good hand washing techniques - along with always making sure your children stay away from the toilet water, as well. But if you or a loved one may have been exposed - or if anyone in your family starts exhibiting signs and symptoms that are severe - make sure to contact a physician immediately.

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