Water Affairs Blog

South Africans 'in the dark' about water quality, says AfriForum

1/11/2016

CAPE TOWN - South Africans seemed to be in the dark about the quality of the country’s water supply, this as the water crisis in South Africa intensified, Afriforum said on Tuesday.

South Africa is experiencing its worst water crisis and drought in years, but Afriforum warned that insufficient rainfall could also lead to greater pollution and poorer water quality.

AfriForum said the country’s quality of water was “deteriorating, putting more stress on municipal systems” and putting citizens’ health at risk.
It called on Margaret-Anne Diedricks, Director-General of the Department of Water and Sanitation to “publish overdue water quality reports”.
“With a water crisis in South Africa, it is extremely important for the citizens to know what the quality of their water is so that they can be vigilant to health risks,” said Julius Kleynhans AfriForum Head: Environmental Affairs.
As a result of a failure of water regulation, “only 25 percent of drinking water systems complied with water quality standards in 2013,” Afriforum charged.
“Approximately four billion litres of partially and untreated sewage is being discharged into our rivers and dams every day,” Kleynhans said.
- Africa News Agency

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Poor water quality in more areas than you think...

3/9/2015

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Shocking study by AfriForum - Secunda, Zeerust, Brandfort, Warmbad, Lydenburg, Naboomspruit, Thabazimbi the worst municipal water in the country, literally writhing with super-high E.coli counts. These are NOT even rural areas! With Health-O-Zone and Clear-Splash Filtration bags its easy to protect your loved ones and make sure they're drinking clean, healthy water. Really? Do you still think you should leave it in our government's hands? https://www.afriforum.co.za/afriforum-bekommerd-oor-waterb…/

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LOL

12/3/2014

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Unsafe Water

12/2/2014

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Bilharzia

12/2/2014

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Quote: Health24.com

Five species of the flatworm or blood flukes, also known as schistosomes, cause the main forms of human bilharzia or schistosomiasis.

Description

Bilharzia is a parasitic disease caused by worms.
Bilharzia causes chronic ill health.
It is the second most prevalent tropical disease.
It is the eggs, and not the worm, that damage the intestines, the bladder and other organs.
There is a link between urinary bilharzia and a form of bladder cancer in some areas.
Because the disease is chronic, it adversely affects the socio-economic development of tropical and subtropical regions.
If bilharzia is left untreated, serious complications may occur.

Five species of the flatworm or blood flukes, also known as schistosomes, cause the main forms of human bilharzia or schistosomiasis. They are:

Schistosoma mansoni – intestinal bilharzia which is prevalent in 53 countries and areas of Africa, the Caribbean, the Eastern Mediterranean and South America
Schistosoma japonicum/Schistosoma mekongi – intestinal bilharzia
Schistosoma intercalatum – urinary bilharzia
Schistosoma haematobium – urinary bilharzia, which affects 54 countries in Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean

Only Schistosoma mansoni and Schistosoma haematobium are found in Southern Africa.

A person gets bilharzia when his/her skin comes into contact with contaminated fresh water. The parasites enter the skin, then migrate through the body to the blood vessels of the lungs and liver. From there they may advance to the veins around the bowel or bladder. The worms will lay eggs which can either be passed in the urine or faeces, or remain in the tissues in the human host. Eggs that remain in the host are usually found in the liver (S. mansoni) or the bladder (S. haematobium).

Infected people can infect fresh water if they urinate or defecate in it.

This will start a new cycle of infection when contaminated water is used in ordinary daily activities such as washing, bathing and swimming or professional activities (also see Course).

Cause About 600 million people are at risk of becoming infected with this parasitic disease, the underlying causes of which include the following:

Extreme poverty
Unawareness of risks
Inadequacy or lack of public health facilities
Unsanitary living conditions
Migratory people and refugees from countries where the disease is endemic
Rapid urbanisation
Increase in tourism to places that are off the beaten track

Symptoms Within days of becoming infected with the bilharzia parasite, a rash or itchy skin (swimmer’s itch) may appear. This normally settles spontaneously. Within another month or two a person who has been infected may experience fatigue, fever, chills, cough, muscle aches, abdominal pain, diarrhoea, dysentery and blood in the urine. This phase coincides with the maturation of the worms in the body, and is called Katayama fever.

In chronic bilhazia, it is the body’s reaction to the worm’s eggs, laid in the liver, intestine or bladder, that causes the symptoms associated with bilharzia. Eggs are rarely found in the brain.

Blood in the urine is a clear indication of urinary bilharzia, and is the commonest symptom of this type of bilharzia. In the case of intestinal bilharzia, symptoms may initially be so atypical that diagnosis is difficult. If left untreated, these symptoms can lead to serious complications of the liver and spleen.

Blood in the urine is a clear indication of urinary bilharzia. In the case of intestinal bilharzia, symptoms may initially be so atypical that diagnosis is difficult. If left untreated, these symptoms can lead to serious complications of the liver and spleen.

Prevalence The disease commonly affects the following people:

Adult workers in agriculture and the freshwater fishing sector. Although these workers usually have only light infections and do not suffer from any symptoms, bilharzia infection has seriously affected the productivity of such workers in north-east Brazil, Egypt and Sudan.
Urinary bilharzia affects 66 million children in more than 54 countries.
In many areas children between 10 and 14 years of age are infected. The disease substantially affects children’s growth and school performance.

Course Because of a lack of information or not enough attention to hygiene, people who are already infected with the parasite contaminate their fresh water supply by urinating and defecating in it. The eggs of the schistosomes in the excrement hatch when they come into contact with water and release a parasite, called the miracidium. To survive, this parasite must find a fresh water snail. Once it has found its snail host, the miracidium divides and produces thousands of new parasites or cerceriae, which the snail in turn excretes in the surrounding water. Here it can survive for 48 hours. Any person coming into contact with this water can be infected by the cercariae.

When the new parasites have entered a person’s skin (it can happen in a few seconds), they migrate to the blood vessels of the lungs. From there they migrate to the blood vessels of the liver and intestines (Schistosoma mansoni) and bladder (Schistosoma haematobium). Bilharzia continues its life cycle in the blood vessels of the intestines (in the case of intestinal bilharzia) or the bladder (in the case of urinary bilharzia) of the victim.

In 30 to 45 days a cerceriae is transformed into a long worm. The female worms lay between 200 and 2 000 eggs per day over an average of five years. It is the eggs and not the worm that cause the damage to the bladder, intestines and other vital organs, such as the liver. The body's reaction to the eggs in the liver can cause fibrosis in the liver, which in turn causes enlargement of the spleen, and dilation of some of the blood vessels, especially in the base of the oesophagus.

Risk factors You may get infected with bilharzia if:

You live in or travel to areas where bilharzia occurs.
Your skin comes into contact with contaminated fresh water from canals, rivers, streams or lakes.

When to see a doctor

If you have travelled to an area where bilharzia is found.
If your skin has come into contact with fresh water in such an area.
If you have blood in your urine.

Diagnosis

Stool or urine samples will be examined for parasite eggs. It is better to test the urine at midday.
The test for blood in the urine involves using a paper strip that has been soaked in a reactive agent. It is easy to use in rural areas. In some situations, if bilharzia is common in the area and the person has appropriate symptoms, blood in the urine may be used to make a diagnosis. However, the presence of blood in the urine is not diagnostic of bilharzia, since other conditions can also cause blood in the urine.
A blood test is available for a more accurate diagnosis. The test is best done after 6 to 8 weeks after last being exposed to contaminated water.
A biopsy of the rectum may be required in intestinal bilharzia.

Treatment Modern medicines to treat bilharzia are safe and effective. Treatment is aimed at reducing the risk of damage to body organs and usually have to be repeated. Three medicines have been used successfully:

Praziquantel – used to treat all forms of bilharzia. A single dose has been proven to be effective to contain the disease. Primary health care workers can safely administer it.
Oxamniquine – for treating intestinal bilharzia in Africa and South America
Metrifonate – for treating urinary bilharzia

Because of the risk of reinfection, it is important to do follow-up tests for three months until a patient is declared cured.

Prevention

Do not swim in fresh water when visiting areas where bilharzia is endemic.
Make sure that drinking water is safe by filtering or boiling it for 1 minute. Iodine treatment alone cannot guarantee safe and parasite-free drinking water.
Heat bath water for at least five minutes to 65 degrees C. Water that has been stored in a tank for at least 48 hours should be safe to bath in.
Vigorous towel drying to prevent the parasite from entering the skin is not very reliable and can be used with limited success only after very brief exposure to contaminated water.

Reviewed by Dr Andrew Whitelaw, MBBCh (Witwatersrand), MSc (UCT), FCPath (Micro) (SA) Senior registrar, Department of Microbiology, University of Cape Town and Groote Schuur Hospital

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Umgeni River ‘one of dirtiest’ in SA

12/2/2014

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File photo: In this study, however, the researchers did one of the first comprehensive studies on human disease-causing germs and viruses in the Umgeni River. Picture: Marilyn Bernard

Durban - The Umgeni River is one of the dirtiest rivers in the country, with recent studies showing proof of cholera, shigella, salmonella and other harmful viruses and bacteria at every sampling point between the Inanda Dam and Blue Lagoon in Durban.

A new study by the Water Research Commission says water samples show that these viruses could infect people throughout the year from drinking untreated water, cooking with water or irrigating food crops from the river, or washing clothes, swimming or playing in the Umgeni, downstream of Inanda Dam.

“These observations may have serious health care implications,” University of KwaZulu-Natal researchers Johnson Lin, Atheesha Ganesh and Moganavelli Singh warn in a report submitted to the commission.

ADVERTISEMENTThe release of the study comes as the city’s health unit has raised the alarm over a suspected outbreak of diarrhoea in Durban after two children died and more than 150 people were hospitalised in the past three months.

Although most cases of the illness were reported in Inanda, Amaoti, Ntuzuma, Mayville and KwaMashu, health officials say people living in other suburbs could also be infected.

While conservation and environmental pollution are often seen as “luxury” issues for wealthy people, the researchers say that nearly 2.5 percent of all deaths in South Africa are related to unsafe water, poor sanitation or hygiene, and that 50 percent of acute gastrointestinal sickness is suspected to be caused by viral infection.

They also recall that 395 people died and more than 120 000 became sick in the cholera epidemic in South Africa between 2000 and 2003.

The researchers say that to save costs, most routine testing of South African river water quality is restricted to looking for E.coli and other sewage bacteria that are easy to detect, whereas it is almost impossible to test regularly for up to 100 different viruses coming from human faeces.

In this study, however, the researchers did one of the first comprehensive studies on human disease-causing germs and viruses in the Umgeni River.

It was based on samples collected in winter, autumn, summer and spring between March 2011 and January last year at five sampling points – Blue Lagoon, Reservoir Hills, New Germany wastewater works, Krantzkloof nature reserve and Inanda Dam.

Polluted

Every sampling point failed to meet water quality targets for drinking or recreation, with the most bacterially polluted water found at the mouth of the Umgeni River and next to an informal settlement in Reservoir Hills.

They also found cholera, salmonella and shigella pathogens at every sampling point, along with adenoviruses, enteroviruses, rotaviruses and hepatitis B viruses.

“These results strongly indicate the potential of viruses in the water samples (especially from the lower catchment areas) to infect human hosts throughout the year. These observations may have serious health care implications.

“Although river water is never managed to achieve drinking water quality, the results would also raise concerns for those who consume water directly from the river without any form of treatment.”

The results also suggested that the Umgeni should be tested more frequently to monitor actual virus levels rather than simply monitoring E.coli and other easily detectable sewage bacteria.

Though they do not pinpoint the exact pollution sources, the researchers suggest that the most likely source of the viruses and bacteria in the Umgeni is inadequate municipal sewage treatment and runoff from informal houses close to the river.

“In such areas (in many parts of the country) no wastewater treatment is provided and raw sewage enters the rivers and streams directly. Because of lack of infrastructure in these settlements, the residents are often forced to inhabit river banks… people living in these areas often utilise the contaminated surface water for crop irrigation, recreation and domestic personal use such as washing, drinking and cooking without prior treatment.”

In their background comments, the researchers say diarrhoea can be caused by viruses, bacteria, parasites and toxins, but it was only during the past two decades that viruses had been firmly established as a cause of acute gastroenteritis.

Although many rivers have yet to be studied intensively, the UKZN researchers suggest that the Umgeni River is among the most heavily contaminated, along with the Vaal, Crocodile and Olifants rivers.

The 230km Umgeni River had been chosen for the study because it was the primary source of water for more than 3.5 million people in an area which generated almost 65 percent of the provincial gross domestic product. - The Mercury

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Ozone Therapy

12/2/2014

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Direct quote from the Medizone Spa website

Formulation, History & Research:

Ozone (O3) is a trivalent form of oxygen (O2). Simply put, it is supercharged oxygen. The earth’s atmosphere is overlaid by the ozonesphere, this protective layer of ozone has a twofold purpose, it protects the earth from the sun’s harmful UV rays and it purifies and rids the air of pollution. Ever since its discovery , by Christian F. Schönbein during the 1830’s, the properties of ozone, and its action on the molecular structure of all kinds of chemicals, compounds, live cells and micro-organisms, have astounded the scientific and medical world alike. Scientific studies have proven that ozone has killed off the feared HIV and AIDS viruses in vitro in humans and animals alike. Ozone therapy also combats the detrimental effects of cancer and chemotherapy as well as a myriad of other medical health problems. More than a 100 years of studies has proven ozone therapy to be the safest therapy ever.

The Value of Ozone:

Ozone stimulates the production of white blood cells.
Interferon levels are significantly increased.
Ozone stimulates the production of Tumour Necrosis Factor.
Ozone stimulates the secretion of IL-2.
Ozone kills most bacteria at low concentrations.
Ozone is effective against all types of fungi.
Ozone fights viruses in a variety of ways.
Ozone is anti-neoplastic.
Ozone oxidizes arterial plaque.
Ozone increases the flexibility and elasticity of red blood cells.
Ozone accelerates the Citric Acid Cycle.
Ozone makes the anti-oxidant enzyme system more efficient.
Ozone degrades petrochemicals.

Benefits Of Ozone:

Ozone helps in the liver essentially with detoxification
It enforces decomposition of fats (Cholesterol and Triglycerides). These are the fats known to damage the blood vessels causing heart attack and stroke.
Ozone considerably improves the metabolism of the cells (the generators of energy production in the body)
It breaks down the level of uric acid (which is the cause of gout and a damaging factor for the vessels) or reduces it considerably.
Ozone improves the blood flow and reduces circulation troubles. 6
It reduces clotting of the red blood corpuscles and thus improves the transport of oxygen and the blood flow.
It increases the amount of oxygen available to the tissues (leading to better absorption of oxygen)
Ozone kills many kinds of bacteria, viruses, and fungi while also preventing their reappearance.
The Bottom Line is that Ozone Therapy, handled properly, is a simple, safe and effective method to aid in healing of the body!

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South Africans 'in the dark' about water quality, says AfriForum

Poor water quality in more areas than you think...

LOL

Unsafe Water

Bilharzia

Umgeni River ‘one of dirtiest’ in SA

Ozone Therapy

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