Top 10 drinking-water and sanitation related pathogens

Overview

This WHO publication highlights the ten pathogens most significantly linked to unsafe drinking-water and sanitation systems. Drawing on disease burden data, transmission pathways, and resistance patterns, the document profiles major enteric and non-enteric pathogens—such as E. coli, Vibrio cholerae, Shigella, Rotavirus, and Cryptosporidium—that contribute to over 1.4 million deaths annually.