Evidence-Based Medicine in the Wilderness: The Safety of Backcountry Water

Welch, Thomas R.

doi:10.1580/1080-6032(2004)015[0235:emitwt]2.0.co;2

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…Other sources of stagnant water such as lakes may be far, few, and contaminated by endemic opportunistic diarrheagenic pathogens from human, livestock, and wild animal excretions in the watershed, getting washed from higher reaches to lower bodies of water. 9 Frequent human activities of cooking, washing and open-air cat-hole defecation in campsites also lead to fecal contamination of water bodies following precipitation. Semipermanent campsites in developed nations may have primitive or no sanitation facilities, rendering backpackers at risk of a higher concentration of diarrheagenic pathogens similar to tropical developing countries.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Outbreak of Wilderness/Backcountry/Travelers’ Diarrhea at a Himalayan Base Camp at 4000 m/13,125 ft

Khan¹,

Sashindran

Sandhu

et al. 2018

Int J Travel Med Glob Health

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Introduction Wilderness or backcountry diarrhea is a type of travelers' diarrhea affecting backpackers, trekkers, campers, hikers, soldiers, wilderness and outdoor enthusiasts. Giardia and Cryptosporidium are the most common pathogens causing wilderness diarrhea followed by bacteria (Campylobacter, Shigella, enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli, E. coli O157:H7, Yersinia enterocolitica, Aeromonas hydrophila) and viruses (hepatitis A virus, hepatitis E virus). Giardia and Cryptosporidum cysts, Salmonella Typhi, Shigella, and the hepatitis A virus can survive freezing temperatures in mountain streams and lakes. Furthermore, protozoal cysts have a low infective dose of 10-25 cysts compared to bacteria which have higher infective doses of 10 6-10 8 colony-forming units/ml of water. 1,2 Campsites, wilderness, and mountain environments pose additional risks worldwide irrespective of developing or developed regions. Wilderness and outdoor environments restrict the maintenance of adequate culinary hygiene, washing hygiene, and hand hygiene due to limitations in http://ijtmgh.com

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%