Karachi’s water

KARACHI: This is with reference to the story “Karachi’s water at risk” (August 22). Carcasses – whether human or animal – don’t pose a serious risk of contaminating water. This is a myth that seems to spring up after floods everywhere in the world. The real risk is of faeces getting into the water, and then people drinking that contaminated water. Most diseases mentioned in this article – cholera, gastroenteritis, typhoid – are caused by bacteria, not by viruses. These bacteria get into the water supply from faeces.

Also, you can catch hepatitis or HIV from dead humans, just as you can from live humans. But that only happens if you are in direct contact with the bodies, otherwise you do not face any serious risk.

Your readers who are interested on this issue may want to see the World Health Organisation webpage for more information: http://www.who.int/hac/techguidance/ems/flood_cds/en/

Mason Inman

Published in The Express Tribune, August 24^th, 2010.