The "S" word

C

Chip00

Guest
Unbeknownst to me salmonella is alive and well in the DR, and especially in the water supply.Our daughter has a slight infection and is in the hospital now it appears from drinking the tap water while bathing.

What was a shock to me was seeing the blood test and she was like positive for 4 different types of Salmonella.

Also, her Doctor said it is no big deal as everyone here has it in their system and that it actually protects us. He says one has to worry when they are "activated" somehow.

Anyway, does anybody know the difference, if any, between the Salmonella here and the one back home in the US that wreaks havoc whenever there is an "outbreak"?
 

D & D

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Jul 17, 2003
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Jeez Chip...

Sorry to hear about your daughter. Lord only knows what's crawling around in the water supply. Hope she is better soon.

I know environmentalists will hate us, but clorox and clorine are our friends. We buy swimming pool clorine tablets for the cistern, and I keep bottles of clorox mixed half & half with water at every sink.

When raw meat touches anything in the kitchen, it gets doused and scrubbed with clorox, soap and water. I also put a little in the dishwater. All my knock around clothes have a white streak across the belly right at sink height, but that's okay. Like I've said before, don't do bugs, no, no, no! Big or microscopic, not if I can help it. We use a clorox solution to clean just about everything.

All vegetables, even if they are to be cooked, get rinsed and cooked in bottled water. Our local colmado owner is a happy camper. We use a lot!

We don't even use tap water to brush our teeth. I keep a pitcher of bottled water in the bathroom and then gargle with Oral B.

After reading HB's "Granny List", I'll probably start keeping gallon jugs of vinegar on hand also.

Dianne
 

Ringo

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I installed a whole house water purification system for all the indoor plumbing. Liquid clorine/water mix injected into cistern, filter #1, then filter #2 that also is a water softner then through a LARGE UV light sanitizer. Our water tests results are better then the USA EPA water standards. Somewhat of an investment that we feel has paid us back many fold. NOT getting sick, no hauling ice or water from the store, kitchen counters not contaminated along with food. Not having to worry about the guest getting a drink of water in the middle of the night. All items available in D.R.
 

Mirador

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Apr 15, 2004
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Unbeknownst to me salmonella is alive and well in the DR, and especially in the water supply.Our daughter has a slight infection and is in the hospital now it appears from drinking the tap water while bathing.

What was a shock to me was seeing the blood test and she was like positive for 4 different types of Salmonella.

Also, her Doctor said it is no big deal as everyone here has it in their system and that it actually protects us. He says one has to worry when they are "activated" somehow.

Anyway, does anybody know the difference, if any, between the Salmonella here and the one back home in the US that wreaks havoc whenever there is an "outbreak"?


Chip, your doctor is right! salmonella is no big deal, so no need to use an euphemism, like the "s-word", (to keep the peace, the mod deleted a short comment here... - carry on!)

Any bug, including salmonella, e-coli, all the bacillus, etc., can become superbugs, like athletes pumped up with steroids. The supersalmonellas are the dangerous kind, and their favorite lurking places happen to be hospitals. I read somewhere that there are about 100.000 infections yearly in the US, serious enough to require hospitalization, from superbugs acquired in hospitals and health facilities.

Also, our own immune systems thrive by being attacked by bugs, be it salmonella or any other. So don't go overboard with cleanliness or desinfection...

For desinfecting salads I suggest soaking in water with 4 to eight drops of white iodine added, from 10 to twenty minutes, then rinse with potable (bottled) water. Also, kitchen utenciles can be soaked in similar water. The kitchen happens to be the 'dirtiest' place in the home, and where most infections are acquired....
 
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jruane44

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Jul 2, 2004
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A, A
I installed a whole house water purification system for all the indoor plumbing. Liquid clorine/water mix injected into cistern, filter #1, then filter #2 that also is a water softner then through a LARGE UV light sanitizer. Our water tests results are better then the USA EPA water standards. Somewhat of an investment that we feel has paid us back many fold. NOT getting sick, no hauling ice or water from the store, kitchen counters not contaminated along with food. Not having to worry about the guest getting a drink of water in the middle of the night. All items available in D.R.[/QUOTE This sounds like a great idea. How much did it cost for the start up, and how much for maintenance of this type of system. Can the average joe maintain the system?
 

Ringo

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Mar 6, 2003
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I had the system installed by my contractor, as I recall about $1500. US. But what is price for peace of mind and health worth? I have a large house that required the large UV light. Most houses can use a much smaller and less expensive UV. I also put in a elec. clorinator pump for the cistern, putting in a pool tablet will work as well, but I would recommend that you put the tablet in a basket that you can pull up and check on tablet use. I also put the UV light on a small back up battery unit (even though we have inverters and generator, street power has gone soooo nuts at times my systems get a little confused and slow.)

Maintaining the system is very easy. 1/4 to 1/2 gallon clorox in the 40+ - solution tank every week and adjust the injector rate/flow as/if needed. The filter elec. timers I have turned off... power problems mess up the timers, So I "push" the flush bottons once a week. Add rock salt once a week, 100 lbs. last over a month. Thats it.

As most things, I check the system on a regular bases. Another plus, my plumbing fixtures look like new and we use a lot less soap for washing. (Now, if I can only get it through to the house keeper that she does not have to use 1/2 of the box of soap per load of laundry.)
 

Mirador

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Apr 15, 2004
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.... 1/4 to 1/2 gallon clorox in the 40+ - solution tank every week and adjust the injector rate/flow as/if needed. ....


Just wanted to let you know that the use of chlorine is not without danger. I suggest you read up on the toxicity of chlorine, for example, the following....


Chlorine Dangers!
 

Mirador

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Apr 15, 2004
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Chip, your doctor is right! salmonella is no big deal, so no need to use an euphemism, like the "s-word", (to keep the peace, the mod deleted a short comment here... - carry on!)

Any bug, including salmonella, e-coli, all the bacillus, etc., can become superbugs, like athletes pumped up with steroids. The supersalmonellas are the dangerous kind, and their favorite lurking places happen to be hospitals. I read somewhere that there are about 100.000 infections yearly in the US, serious enough to require hospitalization, from superbugs acquired in hospitals and health facilities. ....

Just wanted to add a link which throws additional light on how common bugs become superbugs...


FDA poised to approve cattle antibiotic despite warnings...