• Clean Water
• Food and drink on holiday
• Immunisation
• Insect Bites on Holiday
• Jet Lag
• Motion sickness
• Pregnant travellers
• Safe Sex
• Sun exposure
• Taking medicine overseas
• Travel Medical Kits
• Volunteers and expeditions

Clean Water

When travelling, one of the most common health issues to arise is that of illness due to the consumption of contaminated water. Piped tap water can contain bacteria and fungi, especially if unfiltered. In many areas that are frequently affected by floods or water line disruptions, contamination may result. When travelling to any area in which the local water supply cannot be guaranteed to meet mainstream European standards, it is essential to acquire prior knowledge as to how to sterilise water in order to make it potable and thus avoid common gastric complaints.

It is always advisable to research water availability and quality before travelling to any location as well as to find out about the risks associated with any planned activities. As an example, kayaking may expose its participants to water borne diseases and contamination and it is therefore essential that you check the conditions of your travel insurance policy before embarking on such activities. Without the right medical coverage, you could find yourself facing substantial medical bills. Many sports activities such as skiing require a Winter Sports insurance upgrade although 24DrTravel.com policy covers scuba diving for up to 30m within the organiser’s guidelines.

There are several methods by which you can ensure that drinking water is sterilised. Perhaps the easiest method to use to ensure clean water is to boil it before consuming, but when travelling in remote areas this may not be convenient as it requires a kettle or stove. In addition, boiling water does not, in fact, remove or kill certain spores that may be resistant to boiling as well as the many forms of bacteria that are resistant to heat.

Water purifying tablets such as chlorine and silver can be purchased from chemists before travelling and do not require heating facilities in order to be used. They can be added to water while in transit and are excellent at killing bacteria. However, they are not as affective in destroying viruses.

Iodine has long been used as a reliable water sterilisation method. A 2% tincture of iodine should be used in water, with 8mgs added to each litre of water which should then be left for between 10 and 20 minutes before safe consumption is permitted. Iodine destroys bacteria, viruses and a number of unpleasant micro organisms. Iodine use for water sterilisation should, however, be avoided in the long term particularly for pregnant women and the very young.

Water filters are highly effective at producing clean water and can remove sand, mud and other matter including bacteria, parasites and most viruses by use of a pore sized filtration membrane. They are a reliable method of removing cryptosporidia and giardia.

Given that no single method is entirely effective, there are now a number of proprietary solutions, some of which involve the application of water filters combined with iodine or chlorine. These systems are designed to remove enteric pathogens in producing clean water. Water is passed through iodine exchange resins and negatively charged contaminants come into contact with iodine resins, releasing iodine in order to kill micro-organisms without having to use large quantities of iodine in order to produce clean water.