Water comes from a hole in the ground. Many of our citizens would be astounded to learn of all the parasites we come in contact with on a daily basis. And yes, it’s in the water, in the soil, & on our pets, in their fur, & in their stools (poop).
Sounds like the old commercial for beer doesn’t it? It’s in the water! What I’m referring to is little critters you can’t see with the naked eye. The list of these animals is really quite long & the ways you can contract these critters are as simple as having a drink of water, taking a swim, petting your dog or cat or not washing your hands regularly.
I’m sorry approximately this article, as I had only intended to donate a brief description of some of the stuff you can find in your water supply. I wasn’t trying to scare you. But I am advocating you take more care as to how you go approximately your daily business. Many times you can be infected & not even know it. The symptoms usually are no more than an upset tummy, or a mild case of diarrhea, & only become diagnosed after the symptoms keep hanging on.
One way to assist avoid these critters is to use a water filtration system, that will remove the parasites of a greater size than one micron ( one millionth of a meter ). The ceramic filter systems generally filter out particulates of that size, yet read the specs of the product to be sure, as these systems can be costly & useless if they don’t filter out parasites if this size.
Giardia
This is parasitic infection that only requires a small infective dose. It tends to affect children & young adults & is usually imported (somebody catches the disease abroad & brings it back to this country with them). Symptoms include stomach pain, diarrhea, bloating, nausea & malaise. The incubation period is between 7 & 10 days yet extremes of 3 to 25 days have been reported. As with Cryptosporidium, Giardia resists standard chlorination. Unlike Cryptosporidium the condition is treatable so your Doctor should be contacted. Untreated it can last for years with prolonged diarrhea & weight loss. The main source is man via the fecal-oral route yet other animals including cats, dogs & rodents can carry the infection.
Cryptosporidium
This is an infection whose symptoms include severe stomach pain & diarrhea. It only needs a small infective dose – less than 10 organisms. The incubation period is thought to be between 1 & 28 days yet is usually 2 to 5 days. They are quite resistant to standard chlorination in drinking water & the condition is infectious as shortly as symptoms show. There is no treatment available yet the infection is usually self-limiting (it usually sorts itself out without medication) lasting approximately two weeks. During the course of the infection, the severity of symptoms may decline yet increase again after a few days. The main sources include farm animals, pets, contaminated water & un-pasteurised milk. It can be transmitted to other family members.
VIRUSES are the smallest of all infectious agents, averaging approximately 100 nanometers (100 billionths of a meter) in length.
BACTERIA vary widely in size & shape, yet tend to be at least 10 times larger than viruses, or at least 1 micrometer (1 millionth of a meter) long. They are single-cell organisms that reproduce independently.
SINGLE CELLED ORGANISMS tend to be at least 10 times larger than bacteria, or approximately .01 millimeter long.
MULTI CELLULAR ORGANISMS are so large they can usually be seen with the naked eye. Tapeworms, for instance, can reach a length of 6 meters (20 feet).
Tap water has been found to be contaminated with harmful organisms. Both plant & animal foods carry parasites, & cleaning & cooking methods often do not often destroy them before ingestion.
Internally, contaminated water & food can spread the problem to our pets. Externally, animals become infected by organisms on their bodies, especially on their fur, because of exposure to infected animal wastes. Forgetting to wash your hands even one time after handling or cleaning up after your animal can transmit the parasite to you.
Animals are major carriers of harmful organisms, & most physicians, let alone the general public, are seemingly unaware of this fact.
Giardia Lambia : Some people pertain to this condition as Beaver Fever because outbreaks were historically associated with ponds. Giardia Lambia - live in drinking water & are not affected by chlorine because of their complex outer shell. They cause severe stomach infections that are routinely misdiagnosed as the stomach flu, the stomach bug or a stomach virus with severe diarrhea & abdominal pain. The infection moreover causes gas & greasy stools that tend to float, fatigue, nausea, weight loss & dehydration. It is estimated that 50% of drinking water in the United States has the Giardia Lambia present.
Cryptosporidium : This parasite, Cryptosporidium felis is a cause of diarrhea in cats.
Coccidiosis : Isospora felis is the name of the coccidian parasite that most commonly infests cats.
Toxoplasmosis : This disease is caused by Toxoplasma gondii, another digestive tract coccidian parasite. Cats are the definitive host for this parasite, yet the cysts can infest any warm blooded animal,
Hepatozoonosis : The Hepatozoon americanum protozoa parasite is only rarely seen in cats. This parasite is limited to warm climates. The parasite enters the cat via a tick bite, or if the cat eats the tick during grooming.
Naegleria : This one is found in water & soil, yet only one species – naegleria fowleri – can infect humans. The infection mimics bacterial meningitis & affects the brain & spinal cord. The parasite enters the body through underwater swimming and/or diving – the ameba then travels to the brain & spinal cord.
Trematode : Trematode are leaf-shaped flatworms moreover known as flukes. They are parasitic during nearly all of their life-cycle forms. The cycle begins when larvae are released into freshwater by infected snails. The free-swimming larvae can then directly penetrate the skin of the human host or are ingested after encysting in or on various edible, vegetation, fish, or crustaceans.
Most internal parasites are worms & single-celled organisms that can exist in the intestines of dogs or cats. The most usual worms are roundworms, hookworms, whipworms & tapeworms. Common single-cell parasites are coccidia & Giardia.
70% of all parasites that can live in the human body are MICROSCOPIC – only 30% are visible to the naked eye. Take care to follow proper healthy options in life & you might avoid dealing with these health issues.
Rusty Garner-Smith
www.corrosionworks.net
02/23/2012
