Note to self...DONT drink creek water anymore!

[canadian hunter312]

so on monday i went for a walk to try and get a bunny or coyote. must have been too cold for the little critters as i worked every brush pile with fresh tracks without seeing a single rabbit. tried calling coyotes at 2 different locations with no luck...

between being very cold and the hard work trying to get a rabbit i got very thirsty so i decided to wander over to the spring to get a little drink. ive been taking little drinks out of this spring for at least 5 years with no problems. not this time!

tuesday evening i became very tired around 7pm and passed out until 10pm and thats when the fun started. diarrhea every 15 minutes and puking every half hour all night until wednesday around 8am. throughout the whole night i had pain in my stomach that brought tears to my eyes. even plain water would make my stomach turn and either puke a few minutes after or it would go right through me. took me all day to eat a frickin pack of mr noodles.

the only time ive drank out of that spring is when the ground has been frozen for a long time so theres no run off in it and when it is completely iced over. tastes great and its crystal clear so ive never had any fears of drinking it. i think this is going to help me to remember to take a bottle of water with me every time now.

so, what could have been the culprit?

 

[RR]

Beaver piss

 

[KDX]

Beaver fever.

 

[springfisher]

i have done the same thing, it may be a case of beaver fever and if so you should go see a dr. asap. i had it a few years back and i waited a bit to long. the symptoms will keep coming back every 5 to 7 days as the bugs try for another assult on your belly. no fun and i do feel sorry for you and your family if there is only one bathroom to be found ! good luck and get a good book! lol

 

[308BAR]

Beaver feaver? Personally I would never drink untreated water. Although some of the symtoms you describe don't develop later for Giardia (aka Beaver fever):

What is Giardia?
Giardia is a parasite that infects the intestines of humans and animals. When a person gets sick, the infection is called giardiasis, or 'beaver fever'. Giardiasis is usually a water-borne disease. Giardia is a common cause of diarrhea in B.C. and the world.

How would I be exposed to Giardia?
Giardia cysts are very hardy organisms that survive for long periods in the environment, particularly in cold water. You can ingest Giardia by:

Drinking poorly treated surface water from sources such as streams, rivers, lakes or shallow wells that are contaminated by human or animal feces; or
Swallowing contaminated water while swimming in lakes, ponds, streams, rivers, swimming pools and hot tubs; or
Eating contaminated food.
How is Giardia spread?
Giardia is spread when feces from infected people or animals gets into the mouth.

This can happen by:

Eating or drinking contaminated food or drink; or
Contact with the feces of infected humans - for example after diaper changing, or during ###ual contact; or
Contact with the feces of an infected domestic or wild animal that is not followed by proper handwashing.
A person who is infected may not know they are passing the infection on to others because they may have mild or few symptoms.

What are the symptoms of giardiasis?
Giardiasis may cause diarrhea, stomach cramps, gas, bloating, frequent loose and pale greasy stools, nausea, weight loss, and fatigue.

Symptoms start about seven to 10 days after exposure to the parasite. Symptoms can last from three to 25 days or longer, and may last for months.

Often a person can be infected and have no symptoms. In some cases, symptoms can return after you have started to get better. Rarely, arthritis and poor absorption of fats and vitamins can occur after a Giardia infection.

 

[308BAR]

Some of the other water borne disease you could get

Salmonella or Campylobacter, viruses, or small parasites including Cryptosporidia, and on rare occasions Toxoplasma.

Don't drink untreated water.

 

[MiG25]

if you've had it are you immune? i have drank creek water on a daily basis for most of my life and can never recall being sick from it, or anyone else getting sick for that matter.

 

[sjemac]

Often a person can be infected and have no symptoms.

This would be me. I apparently have built up a tolerance/immunity to it and drink from creeks, rivers, lakes and ponds all the time.

 

[308BAR]

if you've had it are you immune? i have drank creek water on a daily basis for most of my life and can never recall being sick from it, or anyone else getting sick for that matter.

I could be corrected on this but I don't think anyone could develop a immunity to parisite or water borne diseases, if you know the source of the water or you're at the source(IE direct from a glacier) then it's maybe OK but for the most part people are just lucky is my guess.

If you live in a rural area septic fields are a common thing, where do you think the water drains too?

Here's the short of it. Animals crap everywhere, it rains, water drains into streams, washing and carrying the crap the the streams. Animals drink it and get infected, cycle starts all over.

 

[DVXDUDE]

ugghhh, I drank out of the stream by my house yesturday. I was so thirtsy from walking threw 3 foot deep snow with a backpack and rifle. I had a quick drink from the river. Tasted good and no stomach pains.....yet

I'll just eat snow from now on when i forget the bottled water

hope you feel better canadianhunter312

 

[Goose25]

That happened to a buddy of mine.... I warned him, he didn't listen, and got sick... lesson learned!

 

[KK1]

Will boiling the water befor drinking take care of these diseases.

I know boiling water is a good idea but is there still problems that could possible arize.

 

[Derek__Erickson]

boil it for 5 minutes, cool it off and drink it,

you got cows around this creek, cow#### in the water will do it to ya

 

[KK1]

Yummmmmmmm

Hear that guys boil your water you might be drinking COW SH!T

 

[Derek__Erickson]

What this guy doesnt seem to mind, looks healthy to!

 

[KK1]

HHAHAHA i think he has a hard on LMAO

 

[Sheik]

ugghhh, I drank out of the stream by my house yesturday. I was so thirtsy from walking threw 3 foot deep snow with a backpack and rifle. I had a quick drink from the river. Tasted good and no stomach pains.....yet

I'll just eat snow from now on when i forget the bottled water

hope you feel better canadianhunter312

Dont eat the yellow snow

 

[chappy]

it is a hit or miss thing beaver fever. i drank what ever was near for years and laughed at people who said i would get sick. i drove home from a northern moose hunt a few years ago, went to work the next morning and all hell broke loose. was hard to go to the doctor as i had to hit the restroom every ten minutes or so. i now carry one of the pump type water filters in my pack. i will never risk it again.

 

[sjemac]

I could be corrected on this but I don't think anyone could develop a immunity to parisite or water borne diseases,

Corrected then:

The US Food and Drug Administration, observing that giardiasis is more prevalent in children than adults, suggests that many individuals seem to have a lasting immunity after infection. [35] Furthermore, citizens of cities and countries where the parasite is numerous clearly seem to have few if any problems with their own water, which also points to an acquired immunity.

The Bad Bug Book. US Food & Drug Administration, Center for Food Safety & Applied Nutrition, 2001.

 

[captonion]

I had Beaver feaver twice now.Once was a drink from a small lake,and the other a creek too close down stream from a pond(75yds).As a rule running water is ok to drink so long as your not close to a pond/lake where it comes from.I have drank water all my life from creeks,and lakes(i still do),and only got the fever twice.The reason I did was because I got lazy.