The wonderful world of Giardia...

[mckrob]

What surprised me, is that people can carry it but never manifest any symptoms. I had never heard of this before, but on a job in Alaska a few years ago one of the local guys I was working with said that he and most of his family have it but have never been sick from it, I thought that was a bit strange so I looked into it, sure enough this is possible.

I've been drinking untreated water from streams all over the world for years and never had giardia, or at least never displayed any signs or symptoms, I wonder if I am just lucky and have never caught it, or if I am a carrier.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/giardia-infection/DS00739/DSECTION=symptoms

 

[Katdaddy]

How did people manage in the past? Better tolerance, stronger immune systems?

I read somewhere, many years ago that back in the good ole days people had an immunity from these things, primarily because everybody drank unfiltered, untreated water. We have lost the immunity because we now drink the treated stuff. Forget the source as it was a while back, but is sounds reasonable.

 

[DWK2]

It's possible, but when I was a kid in the late 50s and 60s, I drank a LOT of untreated Sierra creek and lake water with no ill effects. Seems like everyone did it with few problems. I don't think my personal immunity has changed. In the areas I frequent, I think the presence of giardia has simply increased.

DancesWithKnives

 

[Katdaddy]

It's possible, but when I was a kid in the late 50s and 60s, I drank a LOT of untreated Sierra creek and lake water with no ill effects. Seems like everyone did it with few problems. I don't think my personal immunity has changed. In the areas I frequent, I think the presence of giardia has simply increased.

DancesWithKnives

I'm sure that's probably true for you, but in my case there are a lot of things that I could do 30 or 40 years ago that I wouldn't even consider now. They have obviously changed the chemical makeup of a lot of foods. Stuff I enjoyed without harm in my 20's gives me heartburn for days now!!!