by johnw » Fri 18 Jul, 2008 1:22 pm
I recall from remote area first aid training that it's important to quarantine/isolate affected person/s from the rest of the party (however don't ostracise them...and keep monitoring their condition etc). Also make sure they use separate utensils etc and keep everything scrupulously clean. All this to prevent others from becoming infected. Might actually work better in a group with several tents, rather than in a hut. Although hut accommodation might be more comfortable for someone who is really crook. The need to evacuate them might also need to be considered.
Some might consider it a bit paranoid but we treated, or boiled, all water collected from hut tanks on the OLT. I don't think many (if any) others did but I'd rather not take the risk. I remember being in a conversation with some other walkers and one declared that you couldn't see anything in the water so it must be OK. Someone else pointed out that giardia is pretty small...
We always include immodium and stemetil in the first aid kit on all walks, just in case.
John W
In Nature's keeping they are safe, but through the agency of man destruction is making rapid progress - John Muir c1912