Many vacations or business trips will likely take you to places around the world where clean water is somewhat of a luxury. Even your stay in a well-established hotel could expose you to some form of illness from the bacteria found in the water. Whether that be a quick dip in the hotel pool, a breath of air in a contaminated room, or even a shower to cap off a busy day. In order to ensure your safety while traveling, be sure to beware of the quality of the water.
The featured infographic below, Hotel Hygiene: Watch Out For The Water, details important information that every traveler and hotel guest should consider. The tips found in the infographic are particularly important to those traveling with young children or possess a severe underlying health condition as the risks and illnesses associated with travel are particularly life threatening to these two groups. Two of the most common illnesses you can contract when traveling as a result of poor quality water are Legionnaires’ Diseases and Cryptosporidiosis.
Legionnaires’ is a disease associated with the Legionella bacteria. A majority of the world’s understanding of this disease comes from its first widely publicized breakout in the late 1970’s at an American Legion Convention held in a Philadelphia hotel. The convention was home to over 2,000 guests, of which 182 were infected, and of those 182 infected, 29 had died. Ever since the illness has been known as Legionnaires’ Disease. The bacteria responsible for killing the 29 people mentioned above thrives in untreated water that is transmitted through the air. This makes HVAC systems a very effective means for this bacteria to spread to its victims. For hotels, this spells out disaster. As a guest, you’re dependent on the hotel to maintain these systems accordingly in order to ensure your safety and the safety of the other guests. If you fear the hotel you’re staying at does not have these systems under control, your best bet is to evacuate. Otherwise, avoid any hot showers and communal hot tubs or pools.
The other, certainly less common, disease that has been attributed to travel and hotel stays is identified as Crypto. Cryptosporidium, the parasite known to transmit the illness, is very commonly found in recreational waters in hotels. This includes the pools, hot tubs, and other water-based amenities hotels typically offer to their guests such as steam rooms or saunas. If you become infected with this parasite, you’re likely bound to experience severe diarrhea, nausea and vomiting. Not very pleasant feelings to endure on vacation. Frequent travelers should be made aware of how to avoid exposing themselves and their families to this parasite, in addition to understanding the best course of action to avoid spreading it to other guests during your stay at a hotel.
These are only two of the major microscopic contaminants that you can encounter in hotel water sources. There are a plenty of others that you should do your best to avoid throughout your travels. Some other general tips to follow while traveling include avoiding the drinking water in certain regions of the world. Prior to traveling to any part of the world for the first time, do your due diligence and research the local water health situation before embarking on your trip. If you are concerned about any of the water sources you encounter, default to bottled water at any opportunity.
Chris Ebener is a mechanical engineer for LiquiTech, with a proven track record of diagnosing and remediating public water system issues of various sizes and complexity. Ebener is an expert on the biochemical makeup of facility water systems, system architecture and various methodologies of public drinking water treatment.
