One of the most ambitious initiatives in this regard is the Global Water Pathogens Project (GWPP), a digital platform that already has collaborators from all continents.

'The site is constantly being developed, it is made up of articles by 160 authors and we already have many chapters on organisms that inhabit the waters and lead to diseases,' explained to Prensa Latina Ronald Fayer, one of the promoters of the project.

The American specialist explained that all people concerned about how water consumption is managed can reach this platform, especially those interested in public health.

'GWPP is also aimed at researchers or hobbyists who are involved in the design, installation, or use of water treatment plants; mainly in developing countries, where technologies are not always available, as some procedures are more expensive than others,' he said.

Fayer said that a book is already being prepared with the basic elements about the pathogens that can be found in water intended for human consumption and ways to combat them.

As with all scientific books, by the time the publication comes out the information it contains is obsolete due to the rapid progress of the technologies. But we realize that there are fundamental advances that are available, so the text is something like a hard copy.

The US researcher stated that GWPP not only treasures information about parasitic organisms, their prevalence in different regions and forms of treatment; but 'case studies' are also part of the site.

'If someone, perhaps a recent graduate of the university, makes a discovery in a particular area but does not have the opportunity to publish it, he/she can also use our platform. Currently, it is not easy to publish, sometimes they do not meet all the criteria or the money is not available,' Fayer explained.

'However, it is still important to tell people what you found. There may be an emergency case, as when the Ebola outbreak. Authorities and specialists need specific information on a given scenario, and perhaps one of these case studies can provide the necessary data and indications. We want our project to be where we can find what is not easily found,' he concluded.

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