After 40 years in water treatment, you are absolutely correct (as I expected
you to be). One of the earlier problems in parts of Europe was their use of
ozone, rather than chlorination which "hopefully" protects the water in the
piping system. Chlorine is a requirement in the US. Drinking water is
disinfected, not sterilized. I forget the normal bacteria count, maybe 500 per
milliliter as a max? You get used to the ones where you live, but in the next
town, look out (think Montezumas' revenge). Kinda like getting along with a
spouse, then going away for a time and living with anoter one......might be
nice.... or 2 weeks of hell! :-)
----- Original Message -----
From: Charles Geilfuss <charles.geilfuss@xxxxxxxxx>
To: Olympus Camera Discussion <olympus@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thu, 13 Sep 2012 20:34:44 -0000 (UTC)
Subject: Re: [OM] Italy
OK, before this devolves into a water war, I'll put in my two cents
worth. I have a theory about GI problems during travel and it is
two-fold. Clearly there are countries whose water supply contains
bacteria that are pathogenic to just about anyone who drinks them.
These are enterotoxigenic organisms that can make you very ill for a
protracted period of time. Travelers are particularly susceptable but
even locals can get sick despite a lifetime of exposure. These are
typically associated with developing countries. I have traveled twice
to South/Central America. In my first trip to Paraguay I was a fanatic
about avoiding the local tap water. I brushed my teeth and washed my
face with bottled water and only ate cooked foods, nothing fresh.
Didn't help: I got sick as a dog for 36 hours; GI at both ends. Years
later when I traveled to Guatemala I threw caution to the wind. I
didn't drink the water but I did brush my teeth and bathe with it. I
ate only cooked food and drank only bottled water, wine, beer and
coffee (and boy was that coffee good). I was fine, not a moment of GI
discomfort.
Another time I spent a month working in Germany (Western at the
time). I didn't give it a thought about food or drink, ate and drank
it all. After the first week I was sick as a dog for 36 hours. Hmmm,
what gives here?
My theory is this: we all have a huge quantity of bacterial
intestinal flora. We acquire then the first year of life and they are
essential for good health. All potable water contains bacteria that
non-pathogenic but we haven't made our peace with them like we have
with the one that live in our gut. My theory is that when we are
exposed to them their is a battle of sorts for supremacy in our gut. I
think our native flora usually prevail as we return to our home but
the interim can be miserable.
Charlie
On Thu, Sep 13, 2012 at 2:46 PM, Nathan Wajsman wrote:
> I beg your pardon? Water warnings in the 70s? I guess someone forgot to tell
> us Europeans that our water was not safe, because most of the continent was
> happily drinking tap water already when I was a child in the 1960s--and in
> backwards, Communist Poland to boot.
--
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