What is the Difference Between Waterborne and Vector Borne Diseases

The main difference between waterborne and vector borne diseases is that waterborne diseases spread from unhygienic water and food materials whereas vector-borne diseases that spread from insect vectors such as mosquitoes (Aedes and Anopheles mosquitoes), ticks, fleas, black flies, and sandflies.

Waterborne and vector-borne diseases are two types of diseases that spread from different agents. In general, pathogenic microorganisms spread in various ways to cause diseases in humans.

Key Areas Covered

1. What are Waterborne Diseases
   • Definition, Characteristics, Importance
2. What are Vector Borne Diseases
   • Definition, Characteristics, Importance
3. Similarities Between Waterborne and Vector Borne Diseases
   • Outline of Common Features
4. Difference Between Waterborne and Vector Borne Diseases
   • Comparison of Key Differences

Key Terms

Vector Borne Diseases, Waterborne Diseases

What are Waterborne Diseases

Waterborne diseases are illnesses of pathogenic microorganisms that transmit in water. These diseases spread in bathing, washing, drinking water, or by eating food exposed to contaminated water. They spread as an epidemic outbreak in places with poor sanitation, low hygiene, and improper sewage system. Generally, contaminated food and water carry the disease. Examples of waterborne diseases are typhoid fever, giardia, cholera, dysentery, etc., and also other diseases caused by E. coli and salmonella.

Figure 1: Waterborne Diseases

Furthermore, in waterborne diseases, microscopic organisms cause illnesses such as protozoa, bacteria, and viruses, and diseases spread through contaminated water and food, coming in contact with feces. For instance, the bacterium, Salmonella typhi, causes typhoid fever, and the bacterium spread through the ingestion of contaminated water with feces. Another bacterium, Vibrio cholerae, causes the disease cholera, and drinking water contaminated with the bacterium causes the disease. The prevention of waterborne diseases is important and water safety is the key to preventing these diseases.      

What are Vector Borne Diseases

Vector-borne diseases are illnesses caused by infected arthropods such as mosquitoes, ticks, triatomine bugs, sandflies, and blackflies. These vectors are cold-blooded species; therefore, they are sensitive to climate factors. Generally, weather influences most of the activity of the vector insects such as their survival and reproduction rates, habitat suitability, distribution and abundance, the intensity of the activity of the vector throughout the year, and the survival and reproduction of the pathogen inside the vector.

Figure 2: Anopheles Mosquito Transmits Malaria

Moreover, there are several types of vectors that help in the spreading of diseases: mosquitoes, sandflies, ticks, etc. West Nile fever, dengue, chikungunya, and malaria are mosquito-borne diseases. Leishmaniasis is a sand fly-borne disease while tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is a tick-borne disease.

Similarities Between Waterborne and Vector Borne Diseases

• Waterborne and vector-borne diseases are two types of diseases with different ways of spreading.
• Pathogenic microorganisms such as parasitic worms, protozoa, bacteria, and viruses cause these diseases.
• Rainwater that does not drain can increase the spreading of the two types of diseases.
• Generally, these diseases can be prevented by preventing their spreading.

Difference Between Waterborne and Vector Borne Diseases

Definition

Waterborne diseases refer to the illnesses caused by microscopic organisms, like viruses and bacteria, that are ingested through contaminated water or by coming into contact with feces, while vector-borne diseases refer to infections transmitted by the bite of infected arthropod species, such as mosquitoes, ticks, triatomine bugs, sandflies, and blackflies.

Common Examples

Usually, some of the common waterborne diseases include typhoid fever, cholera, giardia, dysentery, Hepatitis A, diseases caused b E-coli and salmonella, etc. while some of the common vector-borne diseases include West Nile fever, dengue, chikungunya, malaria, leishmaniasis, etc.

Significance

Waterborne diseases spread from unhygienic water and food materials while vector-borne diseases spread from vectors that are insects such as mosquitoes, ticks, fleas, black flies, and sandflies.

Prevention

Good sanitation and water safety prevent waterborne diseases while avoiding insect bites can prevent vector-borne diseases.

Conclusion

In brief, waterborne and vector-borne diseases are two types of diseases that spread through water and through infected insects, respectively. In general, waterborne diseases spread from unhygienic water and food materials, while vector-borne diseases spread from infected insects such as mosquitoes, fleas, ticks, and sandflies. Moreover, typhoid fever, cholera, giardia, and salmonella are some examples of waterborne diseases while dengue, chikungunya, and malaria are some examples of vector-borne diseases. Water safety prevents waterborne diseases while avoiding infected insect bites can prevent vector-borne diseases. Therefore, the main difference between waterborne and vector-borne diseases is the mode of spreading.

References:

1. 7 most common waterborne diseases (and how to prevent them). Lifewater International. (2020, September 29). Retrieved September 25, 2022.
2. Vector-borne diseases. European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. (2021, May 5). Retrieved September 25, 2022.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Groundwater Contamination Latin America Sm” By CAWST – Own work (CC BY 2.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “mosquito” By CDC/ Dr. Erskine Palmer, Russell Re James Gathany, USCDCP – Own Work (CC0) via PIXNIO