Water treatment could protect 800 million from Giardia infections

Water treatment could protect 800 million from Giardia infections

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By Angela Betsaida B. Laguipo, BSNAug 6 2019

Parasitic roundworm infections affect 800 million people across the globe, but thanks to water treatment, it can lead to a significant 18-percent decrease in cases.

A team of researchers at Tufts University wanted to know if improved water quality, handwashing, sanitation, and nutrition can combat the environmental transmission of parasites, but only a few trials have been conducted. Hence, they studied these factors in rural Kenya, wherein they determined the effects of the factors on the rates of the intestinal worm and Giardia infections.

They found that improving the quality of drinking water, through water treatments, can significantly reduce the rates of roundworm infections, particularly in high-risk regions. The study, which was published in the journal PLOS Medicine, reveals that water treatment alone has led to an 18-percent decrease in the rates of infection with roundworm or Ascaris. But, the reduction further went up to 22 percent when water treatment is partnered with handwashing with soap and improved sanitation.