The association between water and baptism (a one-off event) grows to overpower the previous cultural associations with water as cleanliness and worship. By the Middle Ages, water will have become perceived as dangerous, largely because water sources become so polluted in Europe. In addition, hot water baths are seen as opening a person's pores for illness to more easily enter the body. This approach to water/cleanliness will be transmitted along with colonization and the forced Christianization that goes along with it. An avoidance of water for cleaning the body, home, and public spaces will increase the likelihood of pandemics.