The water might look clean but...

It might look like clean water but…

Crystal clear water and an abundance of wildlife – fish, insects, birds and mammals – might suggest that it’s safe to drink water directly from a river, stream or lake but, what’s good for fish, probably won’t be good for you.

So apart from the obvious silt, sand and crud from the river bed, and the fish, insect, bird and mammal poo that will be floating about, exactly what else could be lurking in the water? What waterborne infections could you pick up? What would a microscope tell you?

Here’s a round up of the most common lurgy that might catch you out. All of them will make for an unpleasant few days, potentially ruining your trip; some can turn into something far more serious, especially for the very young, very old, immuno-compromised or pregnant. It goes without saying that if symptoms are very severe or last longer than a few days, you should seek medical advice. Tell them where you’ve travelled to so they know what what to look for.

Bacteria-based infections

All our water filters are effective against bacteria, removing 99.9999%. It’s worth noting that you can also catch these from food and other people, so thorough cooking and basic hygiene should also be adhered to. Bacterial infections can be treated with antibiotics when necessary, although healthy adults should be able to throw most off in a few days.

Parasitic infections

LifeSaver ultrafiltration cartridges remove 99.99% of the things that cause parasitic infections. This incudes protozoa – microscopic, single-cell organisms that act like animals, feeding off other organisms – as well as cysts and eggs. Unlike bacterial infections which your body can often fight off, parasitic infections need to be treated, as long-term complications can be serious.

Viral infections

Viruses are harder to treat – they don’t respond to antibiotics – so you are generally left with treating the symptoms and waiting for your immune system to fight the infection. LifeSaver Purifiers remove 99.99% viruses – many competitor products don’t, so do your research (ask to see test results). There are vaccines available for some of these so, if you’re traveling to anywhere that is high risk, make sure you’re up to date.

So how can you avoid all this?

The gross underlying factor for the majority of these conditions is coming into contact with infected poo – human or animal – or with water that has or had infected poo in it. That could be entirely natural contact from wild or farm animals, or from sewage leaks caused by poor sanitation or flooding, or from simple poor hygiene. Reducing your risk of exposure by drinking only safe water, and using only safe water to wash your hands, make ice, clean your teeth, and prepare food is your first line of defense. Bottled water supplies for all that can be costly, weighty and hard to come by – depending on where you’re going – which is where LifeSaver comes in – transforming questionable water into safe water.

Your second line of defense is to be prepared. Do your research on where you’re going. Is the tap water safe? Have there been recent outbreaks? Is there a high risk factor? Are there vaccinations that should be taken? What medications should you have on stand-by?

Prevention is always better than cure. If you’d like to know more about the benefits of taking a LifeSaver Water Purifier on your travels, or need help deciding which one would work best for you, get in touch today.

Sources

https://www.who.int/health-topics/
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/
https://www.cdc.gov/