[pct-l] Giardiasis

[Bighummel@aol.com (Bighummel@aol.com)]

CMountain Dave writes: "Ain't nobody gonna give up their filter 
because it does, at least, ease anxiety"

I have suspected much of the conclusions in this study but have been 
reluctant to discard my filter due to the hyped up paranoia.  I have 
successfully continued to drink from high, apparently untainted sources with 
no problems and avoid the obvious dangerous sources while carrying a filter.  
Your wrong, Dave, I'm now going to discard my filter, go back to iodine for 
the unavoidable but necessary bad sources, and bring a bar of biodegradable 
soap for my hands (it weighs less than the filter!)!

"Perceptions thrust upon us by those sort of bright scientists who 
brilliantly tunnel focus on only one spot on a problem, die hard."

I'm not sure that this applies here.  How has he tunnel focused on one spot 
of the problem?  It sounds to me like he did a pretty good job of looking at 
the problem from not only the Sierra backpacker perspective, but across the 
board of municipal water sources, clinical studies, consideration of other 
point sources other than water and then compared the real risks from several 
points of view; municipal water, families with kids in daycare, backpackers, 
3rd world countries, apparent epidemics, etc.  What part of the problem did 
he miss?

I personally applaud this type of down-to-earth research where hype, 
misconceptions, partial truths, paranoia and outright lies are dispelled with 
good, verifiable studies.  I recognize that this is not always the case and 
monetary or special interest bias often taints research.  I can't see his 
bias here, not to say that there aren't any.

Of course, it is a free country, and you may choose to continue to fear 
despite good evidence to the contrary.

I choose to lighten my pack.

IMHO and in respect of your opinions,

Greg "Strider" Hummel