Sept. 2, 2008

A little less than five centuries ago, Montezuma was a
pretty powerful dude.

The Aztec emperor ruled his chunk of what is now Mexico with
an iron hand. He was feared and obeyed until the well-armed
Spanish adventurers showed up and made him their puppet.

It didn’t take long before the Aztec people to rise up
against old Monty and the Spanish. The former ruler wound up
dead.

And he has supposedly had his revenge on queasy outsiders
ever since.

This week’s topics include:

* WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE

* HOLD THE ROCKS

* BOILING, BOMBARDING AND BURNING

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WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Of course, Mexico isn’t the only place where travelers from
developed nations encounter Montezuma’s Revenge. Any place
where there are problems with water treatment is a potential
breeding ground for bacteria like E. coli, cholera and
salmonella.

And even if there isn’t a pool party for bacteria going on
in the water supply, travelers need to beware of water-borne
illnesses  caused by protozoa, viruses and chemical
pollutants. Any of those contaminants can cause diarrhea,
vomiting, nausea, fever, aches and or chills.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
the places where travelers need to think twice about
drinking the water include Mexico, Central America, most of
Africa and Asia, and the Middle East. The CDC warns of
moderate risk in Eastern Europe, Russia, South Africa,
Argentina and Chile, as well as in Haiti, the Dominican
Republic and other parts of the Caribbean.

Drinking water is generally safest in developed areas of the
world like the United States, Canada, Australia, New
Zealand, Northern and Western Europe, Japan, and many of the
more developed and tourist-focused parts of the Caribbean,
according to the CDC.

The key word is “generally”. Water quality can vary
depending on where you are in a particular country.

For example, the Independent Traveler Website
(http://www.IndependentTraveler.com) notes that you can
probably find safe tap water at a major city hotel in Costa
Rica, but you may have to boil water before drinking it if
you’re staying in a small rural village.

So what’s a traveler to do? Stealing freely from Independent
Traveler, the CDC and my own stomach-churning experiences,
here are some tips:

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HOLD THE ROCKS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
* Bottled water is generally safe, but only in sealed,
tamper-proof containers. Ask someone at your hotel to
recommend a reliable local brand.

* In addition to bottled water, you’ll usually be safe
drinking tea, coffee, canned soda and juice, beer, wine, and
other alcoholic drinks. Come to think of it, that’s exactly
what many Americans are advised NOT to drink while at home.

* You don’t need to actually drink contaminated water to be
exposed. Think twice about using tap water to brush your
teeth, wash your contact lenses or soak your dentures. Use
bottled or purified water instead.

* Freezing water does not
kill bacteria. A frozen margarita may not look or taste like
H20,  but ice cubes present the same problem that tap water
does. If there’s a concern about the water, drink your booze
and soda straight up.

* Avoid food that may have been rinsed in contaminated
water, such as salad and fresh fruit. Do I really need to
even mention spinach?

* It is safer to drink a beverage directly from the can or
bottle than from a questionable container. But the same
condensation water droplets on the outside of the can that
the folks from Coca-Cola use in ads to show how icy and
delicious their product is could be teeming with illness
causing nasties. Travelers should take a second and dry wet
cans or bottles before they are opened and wipe the any spot
where your mouth will have direct contact.

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BOILING, BOMBARDING AND BURNING
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
* Water from questionable sources should be made safe before
you drink it. How can that be done?

Here are some tips:

- Boiling

This is generally the most effective way to remove parasite
contamination. Get a strong boil going for at least one
minute – three minutes at higher altitudes, say above 6,500
feet.

Let the water cool slowly without adding ice. Allow any
sediments and particles to settle before drinking, and then
pour the water from the top into another container.

- Treating

Commercially available iodine or chlorine tablets kill
bacteria and viruses, but are ineffective against some
protozoa that can cause stomach problems. Iodine is the more
effective of the two solutions, but is not recommended for
long-term use, especially by pregnant women or travelers
with a history of thyroid problems.

Portable Aqua, composed of the iodine compound tetraglycine
hydroperiodide, is the most popular brand of water
purification tablet.

Read the directions for any treatment you use, paying
particular attention to tablet-water ratios and dissolving
times. It could take 20 minutes or longer for the tablets to
dissolve completely, especially in colder water.

If water is cloudy, the number of tablets used should be
doubled. If water is extremely cold – below 41° Fahrenheit -
you should try to warm the water, and give the pill more
time to dissolve.

If you do not have tablets, two drops of common chlorine
bleach in a quart of water will help as a last resort.

- Filtering is another option. Cloudy water should be
strained through a clean cloth into a container to remove
any sediment or floating matter, and then the water should
be boiled or treated with iodine.

Outdoor stores water filters and purification systems. It is
essential that the filter system you choose is suited to
your needs. A filter with an insufficiently small pore size,
or one that is not designed to filter viruses, may permit
some contaminants to get through.

The most effective strategy is to buy a system that combines
filtering with chemical purification.

- Some people may want to pony up the cost for one of the
new light-based purification systems like the SteriPEN. This
gizmo costs about $100 and uses ultraviolet light to kill
bacteria, viruses and protozoa. It’s powered by AA batteries,
making it convenient to bring just about anywhere.

Well, that’s it for this week, group. Thanks again for
reading, and please keep those comments, complaints and
questions coming in.

You can send me an e-mail message at:
mailto:pierce@gophercentral.com
<a href=”mailto:pierce@gophercentral.com”>Email Pierce</a>

Until next week, thanks for reading.

Your Tipmeister,
Pierce