Sick after drinking filtered river water

[FIU]

In 2013 got crazy sick with fever and uncontrollable diarrhea soon after getting off a flight from Manama, Bahrain to Doha, Qatar. I was doing some work for their governments and felt professional obligation to soldier on. I had been careful to only drink from closed water bottles or tea. Still, the two flights home were horrible. My physician never could sort out what happened to me. The best he could guess was that I acquired some odd virus. When I finally got COVID19 I assumed that I was going to die, as I have all those pre-existing conditions that made covid lethal. Well, COVID19 was actually quite mild for me. That got me thinking. Now, I think that despite all of my food and drink precautions, I was somehow exposed to a corona virus that is now called Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MRS). Surviving MRS preloaded my immune system with enough immunity to COVID19 easier to deal with.

The point of my story is that some times, despite your best precautions, you might get crazy sick away from home. In my case, the Qatar government insisted that I go to hospital and said no. In retrospect, that was a mistake that could have caused my death. The depth of the illness interfered with my judgment.

 

[JosefStalin]

I survived pneumonia where the Dr actually told mum that i wouldn't make it through the night & at least 2 epileptic fits of around 1/2hr an hour. To survive a fit of 1/2hr is extremely rare & to survive 2 is probably unheard of or almost unheard of. The 2nd one changed my personality so did some sort of brain damage.

 

[C_Claycomb]

Let’s try to keep stories of illness to those related to drinking water.

Otherwise the thread is in danger of becoming a medical version of the Monty Python Yorkshireman sketch!

 

[FIU]

I survived pneumonia where the Dr actually told mum that i wouldn't make it through the night & at least 2 epileptic fits of around 1/2hr an hour. To survive a fit of 1/2hr is extremely rare & to survive 2 is probably unheard of or almost unheard of. The 2nd one changed my personality so did some sort of brain damage.

That's terrible. I'm sorry that happened to you and am glad that you recovered.

 

[Umbra88]

I’ve always been taught that for true safe drinking water, it aught to be filtered then boiled for 15 minutes. It’s a lengthy process for not all that much when you consider how little we carry with us for a day or two out. Not much comes for free that’s worth it. This includes sipping from a stream.

Don’t get me wrong, living in the lakes I’m always supping from the river but i know the risk and play the game

 

[Falstaff]

is that knowing or thinking you have a bit of local immunity, or judging which source is clean, or accepting a true game of random chance?

 

[C_Claycomb]

I’ve always been taught that for true safe drinking water, it aught to be filtered then boiled for 15 minutes. It’s a lengthy process for not all that much when you consider how little we carry with us for a day or two out. Not much comes for free that’s worth it. This includes sipping from a stream.

Don’t get me wrong, living in the lakes I’m always supping from the river but i know the risk and play the game

15 minutes is ridiculously long. Hell, I steam cook broccoli from cold water in 15 minutes. Most sources suggest 1 min up to 2000m and 3 minutes above that.

 

[Umbra88]

15 minutes is ridiculously long. Hell, I steam cook broccoli from cold water in 15 minutes. Most sources suggest 1 min up to 2000m and 3 minutes above that.

It’s what I was taught many years ago, (in Ireland )I do agree though. Big pot on a fire I wouldn’t stop a rolling boil to be on the safe side but nine time out of ten I’m using a gas canister. Stream water i usually bring to a good rolling boil and have done it. Lucky to live in a place with decent water

 

[FIU]

Boiling does not take away heavy metals and other pollutants. I question the ability of Lifestraw type devises to remove pollutants like petroleum, dioxins, and even radiation.

In the end, you cannot excise all risk from our lives. We all have an appointment with death. Embrace that truth and live your lives accordingly. Don't let the potential risk of harm prevent you from going in to wild places. Part of the charm of being in the wild is that there are risks. Don't be stupid, do your due diligence, take responsibility for your own health and safety but also acknowledge that some things are not in our hands. Go forth and have fun. As we say in the US, carry your own water...meaning take responsibility for yourself. You come out better, more confident, more mature with every venture into the wild.