[pct-l] Interesting article on water treatment

[Bruce 'Buck' Nelson]

>From another forum, a quote I agree with:

"*Self reporting is the issue here and it invalidates the data no matter
how large the sample. Those who do not filter will not report getting sick
from not filtering because it doesn't fit with their preconceived notion
that they are smarter than giardia or other waterborne contaminants. Those
who filter because they believe water can be contaminated are much more
likely to report that bad water made them sick even if the water had
nothing to do with it because of their preconceived notion that the water
is out to kill them*..."

The results of the peer-reviewed study Medical risks of wilderness hiking
<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12681456>:


*RESULTS: Of the 280 backpackers who responded (a combined 38,940 days of
wilderness exposure), 69% (n = 192) achieved their goal. The most important
reasons for ending a hike prematurely were injury, time limitation, and
psychosocial reasons. The most common medical complaints were feet blisters
(64%; n = 180), diarrhea (56%, n = 156), skin irritation (51%, n = 143),
and acute joint pain (36%, n = 102). The incidence of vector-borne disease
was 4% (n = 11); physician-diagnosed Lyme disease was the most common, and
24% of hikers (n = 68) reported tick bites. The risk of diarrhea was
greater among those who frequently drank untreated water from streams or
ponds (odds ratio [OR] = 7.7; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.7 to 23; P
<0.0001), whereas practicing "good hygiene" (defined as routine cleaning of
cooking utensils and cleaning hands after bowel movements) was associated
with a decreased risk (OR = 0.46; 95% CI: 0.22 to 0.97; P =0.*04).

*CONCLUSION: Diarrhea is the most common illness limiting long-distance
hikers. Hikers should purify water routinely, avoiding using untreated
surface water. The risk of gastrointestinal illness can also be reduced by
maintaining personal hygiene practices and cleaning cookware.*