Giardia “One Gnarly Dude”

Just when you thought drinking water was safe, think again. Giardia "One Gnarly Dude," is a disease of the intestine caused by drinking infected water. Giardia is also found in soil, infected animals' feces, and even on contaminated surfaces. Learn more about the myths surrounding Giardia.

Giardia, "One Gnarly Dude"

Misconceptions about Giardia

1. First misconception about Giardia: it is not a virus or bacteria. It is one nasty bug! It is a tiny, microscopic protozoan that defies most water treatments, including chlorine and filtering.

2. Second misconception about Giardia: you only get it from drinking water.

"The parasite is found on surfaces or in soil, food, or water that has been contaminated with feces (poop) from infected humans or animals. People can become infected after accidentally swallowing the Giardia parasite."

- From the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).

What other types of malevolent creatures or diseases await us in water?

• Protozoan infections

• Parasitic infections

• Bacterial infections

• Viral infections

"Enough!" you say, agreed; however, that doesn't cover the chemical contaminants found in our creeks, rivers, lakes, and oceans today.

Animals and Giardia

Your dog or cat can contract Giardia and give it to you. Remember where that tongue has been the next time you receive a friendly slurp on the cheek.

Giardia what to do - treatment

1. Filter

 **LIFESAVER bottle is the world's first all-in-one ultra-filtration water bottle. It removes bacteria, viruses, parasites, fungi, and all other microbiological waterborne pathogens without using chemicals like iodine or chlorine.

2. Boil water to make drinking water safe!

Boil - The correct amount of time to boil water is "0" minutes, no spoofing, zero minutes.

160° F/70° C kills all pathogens within 30 min.
185° F/85° C and above within a few minutes
212° F/100° C This temperature will kill pathogens even at high altitude. - Wilderness Medical Society

3. To kill water-borne pathogens, simply bring water to a boil.

Botulism

**Botulism is the exception, requiring a temperature of 244°F/118°C in order to destroy, which requires the use of a pressure cooker.

Purification Tablets

Purification Tablets contains a combination of flocculation and coagulation agents which promote rapid formation of sediment in treated water (sediment is easily removed by straining the water through a cloth).

After clarification of the water the chlorine released by the active ingredients is then free to kill Giardia, bacteria, viruses, and other harmful micro-organisms which are not removed with the sediment.

Recap

Giardia is "One Gnarly Dude" and that's no joke. Treat suspect water by bringing it to a boil. Use commercial or backpacking certified water filter systems that filter out water-borne pathogens such as Giardia and Cryptosporidium.