3 Ways Untreated Drinking Water Threatens Your Survival

January 23, 2016

bacteria Water is an absolutely essential part of life. It's basic, really - no water, no life. Why do you think they're looking for signs of water so bad on other planets?

But unfortunately, even water can threaten your life in certain situations. Untreated water used for drinking is literally a recipe for disaster.

Be careful of where you drink your water from. And if you're caught out in the wilderness, you better make sure you have a trusty LifeStraw and maybe some iodine tablets in your pocket. And if you can boil water for more than 5 minutes, it's highly recommended too.

But remember, even these precautions may not get rid of all micro-organisms present in untreated water. So be careful.

Here are 3 common diseases that may contaminate an untreated water source.

Cryptosporidium

Sounds like the latest digital currency, but really its a nasty little parasite that causes a respiratory and gastrointestinal illness and can be common to untreated water supplies. Why is it common? Well I'm glad you asked...

The parasite is found in animal manure and seasonal run-off. So naturally, it can find it's way into wild waters.

What does it cause?

Flu-like symptoms
Watery Diarrhea
Loss of Apetite
Nausea
Persistent Cough

Giardia

This microscopic parasite colonizes and reproduces in the small intestine. It can cause infection through contaminated food, water and soil.

Again, it's spread through the feces of an infected carrier...

Here's what you can expect from it:

Violent Diarrhea
Excess Gas
Abdominal Pain
Nausea

Yuck...

Botulism

This one is definitely the worst of the bunch. It's a possibly fatal infection that can be transmitted through contaminated water and food.

The bacterial spores that cause botulism are common to both soil and water.

It can cause the following symptoms:

Weakness
Vision Problems
Fatigue
Trouble Speaking

So again, when looking for a water supply that is untreated tread carefully. You don't want to ingest one of these 3 (or the countless other harmful things out there).

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