Safe water is an essential commodity for prevention of most water- and food-borne diseases, like diarrhea, typhoid and jaundice. These diseases are 100% preventable. All of them can be potentially life-threatening if not prevented, diagnosed or treated in time. Transmission of parasitic infections can also occur with contaminated water. Here are a few tips:
- Travelers should avoid consuming tap water.
- Avoid ice made from tap water.
- Avoid any food rinsed in tap water.
- Chlorination kills most bacterial and viral pathogens.
- Chlorination does not kill Giardia cysts.
- Chlorination does not kill amoeba cysts.
- Chlorination does not kill Cryptosporidium.
- Boiled/treated/bottled water is safe.
- Carbonated drinks, wine and drinks made with boiled water are safe.
- Freezing does not kill the organisms that cause diarrhea. Ice in drinks is not safe unless it has been made from adequately boiled or filtered water.
- Alcohol does not sterilize water or ice. Mixed drinks may still be contaminated.
- Hot tea and coffee are the best alternates to boiled water.
- Bottled drinks should be requested without ice and should be drunk from the bottle with a straw rather than with a glass.
- Boiling water for 3 minutes followed by cooling to room temperature will kill bacteria and parasites.
- Adding two drops of 5% sodium hydrochloride (bleach) to quarter of water (1 liter) will kill most bacteria in 30 minutes.
- Adding 5 drops of tincture of iodine to a quarter of water (1 liter) will kill bacteria within 30 minutes.