Water Borne Diseases
Animals, bacteria, and protists that can harm you
Kingdom Animalia
My researched disease is Hookworms, their scientific name is Ancylostoma. The kingdom they belong in is Animalia. Most hookworms live in the feces where they are born. The symptoms of hookworm disease is if you have itching, rash, abdominal pain, diarrhea, loss of appetite, weight loss, fatigue, and anemia. You can get hookworms by walking barefoot outside on soil. Hookworms reproduce sexually. How you can treat this disease by getting medications from you Doctor. Some of the medications are albendazole and mebendazole. You can prevent getting hookworms by always wearing shoes and never drinking river, pond, or creek water.
Kingdom Bacteria
My researched disease is Cholera, the scientific name is Vibro cholerae. Vibro cholerae is a water borne Bacteria. Cholera gets in the body when a person drinks water contaminated by human feces. Some symptoms of the disease are vomiting, leg cramps, dehydration, gi tract upset, fever, and diarrhea. When you drink the contaminated water, the Vibro cholera head to the intestine where they reproduce multiple times. The disease starts as an infection in the intestine. To treat Cholera is to get medication from your doctor; adult medication is called Doxycycline, and children and pregnant women medication is Azithromycin. To prevent Cholera is to make sure your drinking water is pure, and that your seafood is cooked properly.
Kingdom Protozoan
My researched disease is Giardia; it is spread by Giardia intestinalis. It mainly lives in lakes, streams, and puddles. It can get into an organism by that organism drinking pool water, hot tub water, lake water, river water, or pond water that is contaminated by sewage. Symptoms of the disease are diarrhea, fatigue, abnormal cramps, nausea, weight loss, and vomiting. When this organism gets inside organisms, it will reproduce asexually. Medications for the disease include metronidazole, tinidazole, nitazoxamide, and more. Ways to prevent the disease is to avoid drinking contaminated water, boil the water, or use chemical disinfectant.