[pct-l] CDC recommendations for water treatment

[giniajim]

Did they say anything about Aqua Mira?  (which I don't think is the same as the REI product?  (Happy to be corrected on this point)).

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: jcil000-pctchat at yahoo.com 
  To: Brick Robbins 
  Cc: pct-l at backcountry.net 
  Sent: Thursday, October 21, 2010 9:34 PM
  Subject: [pct-l] CDC recommendations for water treatment


  The following recommendations by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) are 
  useful in 

  the avoidance of infection by Cryptosporidium. 

  To avoid Crypto infection, they advise the following:

  1)  That the use of water filters which  an “absolute one micron” filter, or a 
  filter   certified to remove Cryptosporidium under NSF International Standard   
  #53 or #58 for either “cyst removal” or “cyst reduction” be used. (see A Guide 
  to Water Filters for more   information.
             
  2) That Cryptosporidium is poorly inactivated by chlorine or iodine   
  disinfection.***
  ***The product sold by REI called "Potable Aqua / Chlorine Dioxide Water 
  Purification Tablets" claims effectiveness in four hours.
  The down side to this product is that it "causes irreversible eye damage" if the 
  user gets residue into his/her eyes.

  3) That boiling at a rolling boil for 1 minute (at altitudes greater than 6,562 
  feet   (>2,000 m), boil water for 3 minutes) 

  is recommended.

  4)  Cryptosporidium is not killed by alcohol gels and hand sanitizers.

  5)   Ultraviolet light treatment of water is not effective   against 
  Cryptosporidium at normally-used levels. i.e. Steri Pen type products.

  CDC web links below:

  http://www.cdc.gov/crypto/gen_info/filters.html

  http://www.cdc.gov/crypto/health_professionals/bwa/dialysis.html

  If I made a mistake in transcribing this information for my hiking friends, 
  please post corrections but I think I've summed up their information.

  Also, in closing, the weblink shows wording by manufacturers which might be 
  misleading while reading a product label. Be sure to read that
  CDC warning.
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