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Tap water
- Thread starter MollyElizabethC
- Start date
Island Visitor
Senior Insider
No, dont switch. Carry both. Bactrim clearly has a place and can be used for GI bugs, cystitis (more common in the ladies) as well as ear infections and even some lung infections. It is not a cure-all and many bugs are resistent. But many are not.
Flagyl also has a place, but not as a replacement. I would probably use the Bactrim first but not hesitate to use the Flagyl if the Bactrim did not work or if I thought it was Giardia.
Flagyl also has a place, but not as a replacement. I would probably use the Bactrim first but not hesitate to use the Flagyl if the Bactrim did not work or if I thought it was Giardia.
Bottled water. Buy it. With anything that can happen, I think we all know what hazards a standing pool of water in a climate condusive to bacterial growth can have. Showe in it, maybe brush your teeth with it. Don't drink it. As much as anybody can choose either point of the discussion why take the chance? So you wanna be a tough guy eh? How much fun will you have cramped over for days in fear of leaving the villa in case of an emergency bathroom run. I'd rather be safe than sorry.
Island Visitor
Senior Insider
I have made my homework at SMI, Swedish institute for infectious disease control, and CDC, (US) Centers for disease control and prevention.
So far I have learned that Giardia is not a bacteria but a protozoe, and will not be killed by adding chlorine to the water. That is: chlorinated drinking and pool water are not safe from Giardia - presuming the protozoe is spreading in the environment through contaminated people, animals, sewage etc.
But as far as I have understood the CDC advise about safe water and food, Giardia would be killed by boiling the water.
Risk from Food and Water, Treatment of Drinking Water
Cistern water may be used to boil eggs and pasta... but after reading that long list... lugging those heavy water bottles seems a little more attractive...
So far I have learned that Giardia is not a bacteria but a protozoe, and will not be killed by adding chlorine to the water. That is: chlorinated drinking and pool water are not safe from Giardia - presuming the protozoe is spreading in the environment through contaminated people, animals, sewage etc.
But as far as I have understood the CDC advise about safe water and food, Giardia would be killed by boiling the water.
Risk from Food and Water, Treatment of Drinking Water
Cistern water may be used to boil eggs and pasta... but after reading that long list... lugging those heavy water bottles seems a little more attractive...
Island Visitor
Senior Insider
Giardia: Belly pain (bad), cramping, gas, diarrhea
IF you pass blood or pus per rectum or run a fever, this most likely is NOT Giardia (though it can rarely do so) and is probably a bacterial infection, whether Campylobacter, Shigella, Salmonella or whatever. SEE A DOC AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. In the meantime, probably take BOTH the Flagyl and Bactrim if you are in the field and cant see a Doc quickly.
Cystitis - bladder infection. Pain on urination, itching, maybe having to pee a lot and then only going in fits and spirts, and fever. Can get septic and die (particularly older women or diabetics or others with immune compromise)
Lung infection and ear infection are pretty well known as far as symptoms.
IF you pass blood or pus per rectum or run a fever, this most likely is NOT Giardia (though it can rarely do so) and is probably a bacterial infection, whether Campylobacter, Shigella, Salmonella or whatever. SEE A DOC AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. In the meantime, probably take BOTH the Flagyl and Bactrim if you are in the field and cant see a Doc quickly.
Cystitis - bladder infection. Pain on urination, itching, maybe having to pee a lot and then only going in fits and spirts, and fever. Can get septic and die (particularly older women or diabetics or others with immune compromise)
Lung infection and ear infection are pretty well known as far as symptoms.
Island Visitor
Senior Insider
Correct Karibean. Giardia is a parasite, specifically a protozoan. Boiling water kills most critters, G lamblia included. In any situation in which you have a water source of unknown purity, boiling the water is always the best route. It is not effective against 100% of everything out there (such as spores or preformed toxins already in the water) but it is much closer than any other option.
Island Visitor
Senior Insider
You are welcome. Of course, begging the obvious here, you could always just drink bottled water.
Or alcool. Fortunately most stronger spirits kill critters, this being the reason alcool has been in caravans, canteens and cargo ships for several millenia. As The Royal Navy learned in their trips around their vast empire, freshwater spoils, rhum does not.
Or alcool. Fortunately most stronger spirits kill critters, this being the reason alcool has been in caravans, canteens and cargo ships for several millenia. As The Royal Navy learned in their trips around their vast empire, freshwater spoils, rhum does not.
Island Visitor
Senior Insider
This, by the way (coming to you directly from the buckle of the Bible Belt) is why those who maintain that "wine back in the day of Jesus was not as strong as it is today" are completely wrong. Much of the wine in those days was much stronger than it is today out of necessity. It was probably fortified with the addition of other spirits, much like port is today.
Let's face it, wine was made for desert travel as well as good times. The high alcool content of Caravan Wine was necessary to keep it from spoilage on long journies across the sands. And while I would be loathe to dip my ladel into a large open oak cask of "fresh water" that had been in the belly of a ship for several weeks, I would be quite happy to take my share of wine or allotment of rhum.
Like cheese, alcool is the product of controlled spoilage and therefore is more resistent to uncontrolled spoilage than the actual virginal ingredients are.
Aint science grand?
Let's face it, wine was made for desert travel as well as good times. The high alcool content of Caravan Wine was necessary to keep it from spoilage on long journies across the sands. And while I would be loathe to dip my ladel into a large open oak cask of "fresh water" that had been in the belly of a ship for several weeks, I would be quite happy to take my share of wine or allotment of rhum.
Like cheese, alcool is the product of controlled spoilage and therefore is more resistent to uncontrolled spoilage than the actual virginal ingredients are.
Aint science grand?
MIke R
Senior Insider
the term "scuttlebutt" that we sometimes use today comes from the vat of rhum which was placed in the middle of the ship, called the scuttlebutt....when crew members were given a break from work they would gather around the vat and drink the rhum from cups while talking about their families and girlfriends back on land...
which eventually gave rise to the modern day saying "Whats the scuttlebutt?"
yet more useless drivel clogging up the disc space in here....LOL
which eventually gave rise to the modern day saying "Whats the scuttlebutt?"
yet more useless drivel clogging up the disc space in here....LOL
Island Visitor
Senior Insider
I am a little surprised that no one has played the "Yeah, but I have friends who live on St Barts who drink cistern water all the time" card yet.
Indeed. I have no doubt that many Barthians can drink the cistern water with nary a belch. This situation was nicely summarized by Nietsche who said "that which does not kill me makes me stronger".
A person who is exposed to Giardia often and over time may develop a tolerance to the critter. The organism may live happily in their gut while producing either no effect or perhaps occasional mild symptoms. "Children, daddy is resting now. His stomach is acting up so he took a little wine for his stomach, just as the Apostle Paul advised Timothy in The Bible".
This is why Montezuma's Revenge is reserved for Gringos. The locals tolerate gutbugs that will knock us Palefaces on our butts.
So, if you see a local friend on St Barts who drinks the cistern water and has all their life without ill effect, that does not mean that you can imbibe with impunity.
Indeed. I have no doubt that many Barthians can drink the cistern water with nary a belch. This situation was nicely summarized by Nietsche who said "that which does not kill me makes me stronger".
A person who is exposed to Giardia often and over time may develop a tolerance to the critter. The organism may live happily in their gut while producing either no effect or perhaps occasional mild symptoms. "Children, daddy is resting now. His stomach is acting up so he took a little wine for his stomach, just as the Apostle Paul advised Timothy in The Bible".
This is why Montezuma's Revenge is reserved for Gringos. The locals tolerate gutbugs that will knock us Palefaces on our butts.
So, if you see a local friend on St Barts who drinks the cistern water and has all their life without ill effect, that does not mean that you can imbibe with impunity.
Island Visitor
Senior Insider
Indeed. The word "butt" referred to a large oak cask. Scuttle is used in martime terms to mean holes cut into a ship to let air or light in or, as a verb, to sink a ship by opening holes in its hull.
A "scuttlebutt" was a large oak cask into which a hole had been cut and contained the fresh water (if they had made port recently) or the grog or some other lively spirit.
Well, as an habitue of SBH, I have to say that I have picked up various intestinal parasites by drinking the water and brushing my teeth with it.
So I don't ingest the tap water any more.
The parasite symptoms were subtle rather than dramatic, and certainly didn't interfere with my vacation. I didn't even figure out the problem till after returning home.
So I don't ingest the tap water any more.
The parasite symptoms were subtle rather than dramatic, and certainly didn't interfere with my vacation. I didn't even figure out the problem till after returning home.
tim
Moderator
We've been drinking the public water at our home in Vitet for years without problems, but it's difficult to ascertain whether a rental villa is using public water or cistern water at any given time since most have valves that can be changed over at the whim of the manager or caretaker. There are also variables in the cistern water from cistern to cistern and even season to season. I would advise all but the foolhardy or homeowners(synonymous?) to drink only bottled water. Now the next question is where that ice came from in the refrigerator?
Asidedly, I think there have been eight cases of dengue fever reported in St. Barth this summer, a disease on which IV may wish to elaborate. It's apparently spread by mosquitoes, another standing water problem that is constantly under attach by island authorities. I'm convinced I had it several years ago, but it's rarely diagnosed correctly in the U.S.
Asidedly, I think there have been eight cases of dengue fever reported in St. Barth this summer, a disease on which IV may wish to elaborate. It's apparently spread by mosquitoes, another standing water problem that is constantly under attach by island authorities. I'm convinced I had it several years ago, but it's rarely diagnosed correctly in the U.S.
