Water is essential for life on earth. While America has some of the best disease prevention programs and some of the cleanest water sources, every year thousands of people acquire waterborne illnesses. Waterborne diseases are caused by ingesting or coming into contact with an infected or contaminated water source. While anybody can acquire waterborne illnesses, people with compromised immune systems are at a higher risk of contracting a more severe form of any waterborne disease.

Proper hygiene is one way of drastically reducing the chances of acquiring or spreading waterborne illnesses. In terms of treatment, most people recover from waterborne diseases on their own and only require supportive care. Some people may require antibiotics or other treatment depending on the type of pathogen or contaminant in the water and their ability to fight infections.

For more information, educational resources and fact sheets to help educate your family or community, please visit Parents, Aquatic Professionals & Educator Resources.

Current data for many diseases, previous years’ statistics, and additional reports are available through the Disease Data, Statistics and Reports page.