Future Emerging Issues in waterborne diseases and microbial agents

Infectious water related diseases are a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Newly-recognized pathogens and new strains of existing pathogens are being discovered that present important challenges to both water and public health sectors- between 1972 and 1999, 35 new agents of disease were discovered and many more have re-emerged after long periods of inactivity or are expanding into areas where they have not previously been reported. Relevant water-related pathogens have included Escherichia coli O157:H7, Giardia, Cryptosporidium, Cyclospora, hepatitis E virus and legionella. Others now being evaluated include Helicobacter pylori. Drivers of emergence of new pathogens include microbial evolution, creation of new environments introduction of new technologies and developing abilities to detect and study the microorganisms themselves1,2. In 2003, Sharma et al2 have de!ned an emerging pathogen as any new, reemerging, or drug resistant infection whose incidence in humans has increased within the past two decades or whose incidence threatens to increase in the future. This de!nition is derived from a report publishe