Re[2]: [at-l] Virus in Water

[rickboudrie@hotmail.com (rick boudrie)]

I now use a PUR filter and have never been sick in the mountains.  Just of 
them ;-).  I use a filter primarily for the benefit of my hiking partner's 
peace of mind, but really appreciate having it when the water source is 
really skanky, or too small to dip into.  I didn't cary a filter on my 
thru-hike but used Potable Aqua in the skankier conditions.

One thing I have not figured out is exactly how you get sick.  Is it a case 
where a critical minimum of pathogens needs to be present before having an 
effect?  In other words is is OK to ingest 2 or 3 Giardia (and other junk) 
but not 10?  I expect everyone's body is differrent, but is this the 
principle?  If so, do they stay in your system waiting for the critical mass 
to be reached or are they quickly neutralized?  When people speak of Giardia 
in the water are they talking about an absolute presence in the sample or a 
level of concentration?  Does that even make a diference?  Would "just a 
sip" straegies when the water is suspect be as risky as cameling up?

Another thing I am wondering about, which is related, is if Giardia lives in 
our filters.  Part of me is bothered by concentrating ever more giardia in a 
toxic bomb that is my filter.  I am almost thinking that I am taking a 
benign unconcentrated number of giardia and mustering thier forces to a 
level that they will knock me on my ass if I ever handle the filter in the 
wrong way, if contaminated water leaks from it, or if it fails.  As a 
weekender I follow Pur's directions and run a few teaspoons of bleach 
through it to sanitize the filter, but I understand that bleach is not a 
great killer of Giardia.  Why do I even bother?  I suppose that drying it 
out in the sun is a good way to kill what in it, but don't really know.  ANd 
that would be impractical when youare hiking a lot.

Bottom line is that I am real confused about anything that has to do with 
Giardia and filters.  That leaves me with little to fall back on other than 
monkey see, monkey do.  Then I remember that I have never been sick, so I go 
into the "What me worry" mode.

Rick B





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