Giardiasis is a myth?

Apparently, there are a number of articles currently circulating the web that downplay the hazards of giardia and other waterborne illnesses. THINK AGAIN! Giardia, cryptosporidium, blastocysts and other water-borne nasties are something backpackers want to pay attention to. There are an extraordinarily high number of trekkers who get giardiasis, but never report it. Doctors near the Pacific Crest Trail indicate they treat a high number of cases, but it is not reported as an outbreak because patients have been exposed to untreated water sources. Outbreaks are only reported to the CDC when a particular domestic area experiences cases from suspected municipal sources.

Water appearing pristine anywhere in the country should be treated as suspect as murky water. While a few trekkers continue to drink from mountain streams, a recent study on a sample of Utah backpackers, revealed that 25% of uninfected individuals returned with a positive test for giardia after short trips. A proper water filter and proper use of the equipment coupled with neurotic hygiene practices will keep you running regular. At 40-years of age, I have always treated "wild water" and have never experienced giardiasis.

What about steripens? Neat technology, but most often misused. Trekkers believe they can dip into a stream and zap the water within the bottle, neglecting the fact that the lip, lid and other surfaces of the container remain untreated. Any vessel dipped into a stream must be considered contaminated. Likewise, after rinsing your hands in the stream, wash them with soap (at least 200 feet from the stream). Anything you touch with your stream-wet hands will be contaminated (towel, dishes, food, water bottles). 

Wonder what's lurking about in that water? Consider just one of many sources for contaminants-- Deer mice exist plentifully in fields and meadows. Some meadows have hundreds in a square acre. They carry hantavirus and poop all over the soil. The melt water and run-off flows right across the feces and into drainages and streams. While viruses are not typically spread in water, imagine what other parasites, cysts and contaminants are picked up along the way. Imagine that next time you put your lips to what appears to be sparkling water.