Pathogen Profile -
Cryptosporidium, Giardia

April 27, 2018

This newsletter is offered as an update on some of the more common water borne contaminants in rural and back-country locations, or more generally, in cottage country.

We are focused on two pathogens in this issue because they are both relatively common and they are similar in their nature and in the illness that they can cause. The bad-boys of this issue are Cryptosporidium parvum (commonly referred to as "Crypto") and Giardia lamblia (commonly called "beaver fever").

Both Cryptosporidium and Giardia are parasites and can colonize and reproduce within the intestines and cause illness including diarrhea and other unpleasant symptoms like abdominal pain and dehydration. Acute and potentially life-threatening problems can develop in people with a compromised immune systems.

Most exposure to these two parasites is from consuming untreated surface water such as from lakes and streams which can become contaminated from animal feces. This can be common in cottage country where many cottagers simply pump in lake water to service the cottage without considering possible contaminant levels. The truth is even though the lake appears to be pristine, the quality of the water cannot, and must not be taken for granted... All surface water should be treated to prevent infection.

The first line of defense for any cottage or camp is to place the foot valve of your water system at the appropriate depth and in an area of visibly clear water. Next it's important to filter all of the water coming into the cottage or camp (not just the drinking water) to remove as much of the sedimentation and other bits of unwanted matter in the water. Typically a dual stage filter system would be best (either cartridge style or auto-backwashing) to include removal of sediments and to help reduce foul taste and odours and clear up the water.

The fact that Crypto is highly resistant to chlorine disinfection means that a standard chemical based chlorine system will not be much help. The best and most efficient way to kill these parasites is with UV and the UV dose required to reduce the pathogens by 99.99% is very modest and can easily be provided by any model of Wyckomar UV system.

We would be happy to help you select the proper filtration and UV disinfection system for your cottage or camp. Contact us today.