Water precautions
Water bodies are breeding grounds for a variety of diseases, caused by contamination of human or animal feces that contain pathogenic microorganisms. Some of these diseases are cholera, botulism, typhoid, hepatitis A and B, dysentery, cryptosporidiosis, polio giardia, tetanus, lyme, TB, plague AIDS HIV, measles, German measles, malaria, mumps and E. Coli. But you can prevent getting any of these water-borne diseases by taking a few precautions. These are:
Swimming: While swimming in the ocean, or in freshwater lakes and rivers, it is possible to pick up a variety of infections such as those of the ear, eye, skin, and respiratory, neurological and diarrheal infections. This water may be contaminated by people and from sewage, wastewater run-off and animal wastes, causing diarrhea and other serious waterborne infections. Swimmers should avoid beaches as they can contain human sewage or dog feces.
Swimmers should also not swallow water in pools whose disinfectant levels and pH are poorly maintained and in chlorinated water pools. Also, if swimmers have open wounds or cuts, they should not swim as pathogens could enter their system through this opening.
Drinking water: If water is treated according to the requirements of the water standards in the US, it can be used for drinking and can protect you from viral and bacterial waterborne diseases. But if the quality of water is suspect, it would be safer to drink tea and coffee made with boiled water, canned or bottled beverages, including water, and beer and wine.
Contaminated water includes ice too, so both should be avoided if water quality is suspect. Drink out of clean containers and rinse thoroughly with soap and hot water after use. If drinking a beverage, do so directly from the can or bottle. Avoid brushing your teeth with such water.
Treating drinking water-some methods: While traveling, the best way of keeping water-borne diseases at bay is to boil, filter, chemically disinfect water, or use reverse osmosis or a water softener.
Boiling: This is the most reliable method of getting rid of impurities in the water. Boil water for one minute and let it cool to room temperature to kill bacteria and parasites at low altitudes.
Chemical disinfection: Another method of purifying water is to disinfect it with iodine when boiling is not possible, though it may not kill cryptosporidium. But it could work well if you used either of tincture of iodine or tetraglycine hydroperiodide tablets. If water turns cloudy, double the number of tablets, and if water is very cold, warm it and increase the recommended contact time for good disinfection. Strain cloudy water through a clean cloth and remove all sediment or floating matter, and then treat with iodine.
Water filters: You can get a variety of portable filters to purify water such as reverse-osmosis filters that can kill viruses, bacteria, and protozoa; micro strainer filters can remove bacteria and protozoa from drinking water, but not viruses.
Water softener: For this, you need to first collect organisms from water in the filter. These filters may not remove cryptosporidium like boiling can.
If you follow these methods of water purification, you can minimize the chances of getting water-borne diseases while traveling.