Common Water Borne Diseases

[Andy Bruce]

Hi guys, I'm trying to find out about common water borne diseases in the uk, if anybody could give me some information on them I would be very grateful!

Thanks everybody,

Andy

[Martin]

Here's one for starters:-

Weil's Disease :)

Martin

PS Welcome to the NaturalBushcraft forum

[Andy Bruce]

Thanks Martin!

And for the info! :-)


Andy

[MikeWilkinson]

Just water bourne diseases or anything that will make you Ill?

[Andy Bruce]

just common water bourne diseases, if you know any, that would help alot, its for research for a portfolio!

thanks!

[MikeWilkinson]

Well I assume you already have the standard food poisoning bacteria - E.Coli, Salmonella, etc...

[Martin]

I'll see your E.Coli and raise you Cryptosporidium. Yuk!!

Martin

[Andy Bruce]

I didnt have E.Coli, but had Salmonella and leptospirosis (doesn't sound healthy does it!) but my biology is hazy at best! Anything different and their symptoms would be appreciated!

Thanks for your help so far though!!

[MikeWilkinson]

Legionellosis - can be found in freshwater ponds and streams

[Andy Bruce]

Thats given me some great stuff to work with, Thank you very much for your help guys!

Andy

[MikeWilkinson]

Take a look here -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waterborne_diseases

click on them individually to see if they apply to the uk - most of them do.

[Notredame11211]

http://www.bestglide.com/water_filtering_purification.html
Here is some good info

[happybonzo]

Makes your bottom twitch just reading some of those :)

[MikeWilkinson]

This has some great info as well, including bacteria/virus/cyst sizes and filtration techniques-

http://zenbackpacking.net/WaterFilterPurifierTreatment.htm

When you really start getting into all this you realise how in-effective chemical treatment can be, both giardia and crypto are resistant to chlorine and mildly resistant to iodine - excellent filtration i.e sub-micron and boiling really are the best treatment methods to avoid unpleasant bowel problems and in some cases death - check out Entamoeba histolytica - second to malaria for cause of protozoic death!! Although not that common in the 1st world(prevalance in the western world is between 2% and 5%) .

[Fletching]

Most water tastes fine with the addition of barley, hops, yeast and sugar. ;)

[Andy Bruce]

Thank you everybody, you guys are an excellent source of collective knowledge! I really appreciate the help!

Andy

[happybonzo]

I can heartily recommend not catching Amoebic dysentery
Another "nasty" probably heading to the UK is Giardiasis. Again, not recommended

[Adam Savage]

Most water tastes fine with the addition of barley, hops, yeast and sugar. ;)

I concur with you there Fletch, although not the best thing to combat dehydration in the wilds lol

[basicbushcraft]

here some more for ya .

Giardia lamblia protozoa .

Polio exposure to untreated sewage; may also be waterborne.

Clostridium botulinum bacteria.food/water borne; can grow in food

Vibrio cholerae bacteria .often waterborne

[Tom Bombadil]

Most water tastes fine with the addition of barley, hops, yeast and sugar. ;)

Yeah. We had a few samples of that at the RV! That Cornish water is good! Cheers Ben and Ken.T^

[Ben Casey]

Yeah. We had a few samples of that at the RV! That Cornish water is good! Cheers Ben and Ken.T^

I think I slept in the next day and had to stop with my hangover after a bit (But medication is a wonderful thing :) ) I loved the banter with you all it was cool Tom T^

[Roadkillphil]

I think I slept in the next day and had to stop with my hangover after a bit (But medication is a wonderful thing :) ) I loved the banter with you all it was cool Tom T^

Did you try any of Daves Forge water? :evilgrin: That stuff was Crystal clear!! :D

[Ben Casey]

Did you try any of Daves Forge water? :evilgrin: That stuff was Crystal clear!! :D

Na he was getting some ready when I was there but I bottled of it after your story LOL

[Roadkillphil]

Na he was getting some ready when I was there but I bottled of it after your story LOL

:D I loved the stuff, but then, I'm a big fan of chillies. I had a mean hangover the next morning while we were makin the bows, but I can't blame that entirely on the forge water, rattler and mead had some part to play there.

(sorry for hijacking the thread :ashamed: )

[Adam Savage]

(sorry for hijacking the thread :ashamed: )

See...it's not just me haha

[Ben Casey]

See...it's not just me haha

Or me LOL Phil to blame now where is Martin when you need him :D

[Martin]

Oi!!! :off-topic:

Martin

[Adam Savage]

Would pollutants, say from a sprayed crop for instants, count toward water borne diseases? As they can cause illness, and in severe cases, death.

Does anyone know of such pollutants, that regular filtering would not remove?

[Ben Casey]

Oi!!! :off-topic:

Martin

Better late than never Martin LOL

[Ben Casey]

Would pollutants, say from a sprayed crop for instants, count toward water borne diseases? As they can cause illness, and in severe cases, death.

Does anyone know of such pollutants, that regular filtering would not remove?

I think they do mate I wouldnt fancy some of the chemicals that get through :(

[Ben Casey]

I found this online I dunno if it helps or not.
Harmful effects of water pollution from farming
Water pollution from farming can affect rivers, lakes, estuaries, coastal waters and groundwaters, and add to the loss of species diversity. Nitrates, pesticides and faecal indicator organisms can prevent water from being used for drinking, recreation and shellfishery harvesting.

Nitrate pollution in both ground and surface waters is of particular concern because excess nitrate must be removed to make water safe for human consumption. High levels of nitrates (and also phosphates) can harm water quality. High phosphorous and nitrogen levels can cause eutrophication, which is the enrichment of water by nutrients, causing algae to grow quicker thereby disturbing the balance of organisms present in the water. This can ultimately lead to sections of waterbody being killed off through oxygen removal.

[comanighttrain]

Would pollutants, say from a sprayed crop for instants, count toward water borne diseases? As they can cause illness, and in severe cases, death.

Does anyone know of such pollutants, that regular filtering would not remove?

I believe that basical filtering will not remove any water soluable pesticides, a lot of pesticides used (even organic ones) are cyanides. I'm not even sure they can be removed by advanced filtering.... not concentrated enough to even make you feel unwell, but over a long period of time is not good for you...

[Adam Savage]

I found this online I dunno if it helps or not.
Harmful effects of water pollution from farming
Water pollution from farming can affect rivers, lakes, estuaries, coastal waters and groundwaters, and add to the loss of species diversity. Nitrates, pesticides and faecal indicator organisms can prevent water from being used for drinking, recreation and shellfishery harvesting.

Nitrate pollution in both ground and surface waters is of particular concern because excess nitrate must be removed to make water safe for human consumption. High levels of nitrates (and also phosphates) can harm water quality. High phosphorous and nitrogen levels can cause eutrophication, which is the enrichment of water by nutrients, causing algae to grow quicker thereby disturbing the balance of organisms present in the water. This can ultimately lead to sections of waterbody being killed off through oxygen removal.


I believe that basical filtering will not remove any water soluable pesticides, a lot of pesticides used (even organic ones) are cyanides. I'm not even sure they can be removed by advanced filtering.... not concentrated enough to even make you feel unwell, but over a long period of time is not good for you...

seems like we have hit a large area of concern, depending on the location of course.

[Ben Casey]

It has been something for years I think and you never really know what your drinking :(

[TexasBushcraft]

2 of the main water borne disease are giardia and cryptosporidium don't really why i know these even if i live in texas ;)

[swkieran]

i always drink my water from high places.also i always under the impresion if its got fish and healthy plant life,the water should be ok to drink aslong as you purify it,boil it,i may be wrong

[Adam Savage]

i always drink my water from high places.also i always under the impresion if its got fish and healthy plant life,the water should be ok to drink aslong as you purify it,boil it,i may be wrong

Top tip I learnt a while back. If it has algae growing on the surface, it's free from poisons and chemicals. I would suggest basic filtration and boiling though.

[Ben Casey]

The only thing I remember is to check for dead sheep :)

[Adam Savage]

The only thing I remember is to check for dead sheep :)

Yea, looking for dead sheep always made me thirsty :p

[Naturalmagik]

Some algae is dangerous, i will look into it, but its really bad for dogs to drink from that water and they get sick so must apply to us too?

[Naturalmagik]

http://www.health.ny.gov/environmental/water/drinking/bluegreenalgae.htm Found this re algae.

[Naturalmagik]

I have been looking into filters that take out all of the toxic chemicals, will post a link for one

[Naturalmagik]

Distillation effectively removes contaminants such as bacteria, dissolved solids, heavy metals,
chemicals, pesticides, insecticides, crytosporidium, giardia etc.
I have been looking into this as our tap water is full of chemicals, female hormones ( from the pill) anti depressants etc..flouride ( kills brain cells)

http://www.berkeywater.com/start.main.html This looks promising, i am trying to find out what takes the most out and is the cheapest.

[garethw]

Here's and article by a mate of mine who caught this nasty disease.... It's specifically aimed at fishermen but most can learn from what he has written.

cheers
Gareth

Beware the rat! This article may just save your life!

Ever heard of a disease called – Leptospirosis?

No? … didn’t think so! How about Weil’s disease?

What is Leptospirosis?

Leptospira interrogans are a microscopic corkscrew-shaped bacterium which causes the disease leptospirosis. This is carried in the urine of rodents and transmitted to lakes, rivers, canals, and soft damp ground during the act of urination. Humans can then contract this through open cuts, sores, eyes, or through swallowing contaminated water. Leptospirosis is often referred to as Weils disease in the case of contaminated humans.

What has this got to do with carp angling? EVERYTHING!

Every time we go fishing we are potentially exposing ourselves to Weil’s disease. We all mix our Method mixes with lake water and we all wash our hands in the margins. Anything from a broken blister created after sticking bait out, to a cut from casting or knot-tying can leave us exposed to possible infection and just because you can’t see any evidence of rats – it doesn’t mean they aren’t there. Remember, rats are largely a nocturnal animal. Leaving cans and bottles of beer in your landing net to keep cool might seem the right thing to do in the hot summer days, but this is a sure-fire way of risking exposure. Just rubbing your shirt around the top of the can or bottle will not kill off the bacteria. Leaving your kettle and pans outside your bivvy door is not safe either. Rats are incontinent therefore they will urinate on the move, so anything they come into contact with could become contaminated.

What Are The Chances Of Catching It?

It is estimated that between 50-60 % of rats carry the bacteria. It’s not just rats – mice, voles, coypus, foxes, etc., all have the potential to transmit the disease. Rats are definitely becoming more and more of a problem on many fisheries, partly due to anglers leaving rubbish behind, but more due to anglers’ bait.

How many of us spod seeds and pellets?

How much of this lands on the bank or in the margin? We are all guilty of doing this and it isn’t the rat’s fault, it is only doing what comes natural. Wild rats only have a lifespan of around one year so you wouldn’t think they would be too much of a problem, but considering each female rat gives birth to six young around four times a year, and the young themselves reach sexual maturity after three months, you can soon have a real problem on your hands. If only half the offspring are female, after one year you could have around 512 rats from one mating pair. Scary isn’t it?

Am I as guilty as everyone else? YES.

With the massive increase in carp angling over the last 15 years and with more anglers on the bank each week, more bait and rubbish is being left around the edges of lakes and rivers. It is, however, extremely difficult to tidy up spod spill as the seeds are so tiny and the bait spreads all over the place.

How To Tell If You Have Caught The Disease?

The disease normally carries an incubation period of between four and 14 days, depending on how susceptible you may be. The first signs are often flu-like symptoms, headaches, nausea, fever, chills, vomiting, loss of appetite, eye inflammation and muscle aches. If you suspect you may have the disease contact your doctor immediately, stating that you are an angler and feel you may have contracted Weil’s disease. Most doctors will be unaware of the illness as it is quite rare, so spell it out very clearly or they may only treat you for a fever. If not treated quickly the effects of Weil’s disease can be very serious – liver damage, jaundice, kidney failure and internal bleeding. In extreme cases this can even result in death. After a course of antibiotics, in most cases a full recovery will occur, however, there can still be long-term after-effects from the disease in some individual cases. These include headaches, fatigue, eye pain and depression.These effects can last for several years after the original illness on an intermittent basis. It is also possible to contract the illness again as there are many strains of the disease and your immune system will not protect you from another variant of the disease.

How Can We Minimise/Remove The Risk Of Infection?

It would be extremely difficult to completely remove the risk of infection, but hopefully the following suggestions can help reduce it.

1. Firstly, if you have any cuts or open sores, cover them with waterproof plasters.

2. Don’t leave anything outside your bivvy where rats may be able to get to it, especially at night. It has even been known for rats to climb trees to get at bags of bait that are being airdried in the branches.

3. You can minimise the risk of cuts from casting by wearing a fingerstall or glove and likewise can wear a glove for baiting up with a throwing stick.

4. Ensure lids are securely fastened on any buckets of bait.

5. Any empty food packaging should be bagged and taken home after the session.

6. Always wash dirty pots with bottled water and sterilise by boiling the water in pans before using them

7. Don’t swim in lakes, rivers and canals as any swallowed water could contain the bacteria

8. Always wear footwear as a cut on unprotected feet could cause infection

9. Don’t put wet reel line in your mouth when tying rigs.

10. Most of the aforementioned seems like common sense, but, if we are honest, how many of us actually do them?

[Adam Savage]

Some algae is dangerous, i will look into it, but its really bad for dogs to drink from that water and they get sick so must apply to us too?

Maybe it just meant it's free from chemicals then, and filtration and boiling is still needed to make it safe. Thing is, most man made chemicals, such as pesticides and some fertilisers, can't be filtered out sufficiently. I'm guessing these chemicals would kill algae as well, meaning this is when algae can be used as an indicator? Would be good to find out though, thanks for bringing that to my attention Tess.

Adam

[Adam Savage]

http://www.health.ny.gov/environmental/water/drinking/bluegreenalgae.htm Found this re algae.

Looks like I have to find out which algae is our friend then lol.

[Ben Casey]

Looks like I have to find out which algae is our friend then lol.

Adam you love it LOL I think if we have a spare dead camel laid around somewhere we could use that for water :D

[Adam Savage]

Adam you love it LOL I think if we have a spare dead camel laid around somewhere we could use that for water :D

Heard camels don't actually carry water in their hump, it's a myth. Could be wrong there too, but it's worth finding out....if you find a dead camel ooop north that is. :)

[Ben Casey]

Heard camels don't actually carry water in their hump, it's a myth. Could be wrong there too, but it's worth finding out....if you find a dead camel ooop north that is. :)

Bear Grills got some from somewhere on one :)

[Adam Savage]

Bear Grills got some from somewhere on one :)

Probably it's mouth haha, I will check the facts and get right back to you.

[Adam Savage]

"Camels can go longer without dehydrating because of their unique red blood cells, which are ovular instead of round. The hump is actually a giant mound of fat, and frankly it’s quite rude to draw attention to it."

[Ben Casey]

Probably it's mouth haha, I will check the facts and get right back to you.

I think it was the stomache he squeezed the bits and it was brown I wont say more than that :)

[Adam Savage]

The water is usually found in the camels stomach and bloodstream.



Read more: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Where_do_camels_store_water_if_they_don't_store_it _in_their_humps#ixzz1NC8pCGUv

[Ben Casey]

The water is usually found in the camels stomach and bloodstream.



Read more: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Where_do_camels_store_water_if_they_don't_store_it _in_their_humps#ixzz1NC8pCGUv

Funny you would have thought the hump tho. I think we need to do an exped to try out water theories.