Everything about parasites!

EnclineDesigns

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For the experienced expats....I know to buy bottle water for drinking, cleaning vegetables, brushing teeth etc., keeping mouth closed while taking a shower and boil water for cooking. However, on a daily basis, do you find that you cannot eat certain foods because of the parasites, if so, which foods?
Do we Americans and Europeans ever become immune to the parasites? If so, how long would you say it takes (assuming each person's situation is different).
Lastly could you offer any words of widsom on the subject of parasites....maybe vitamins or herbs taken to combat parasites??
:classic:
 

pelaut

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avoiding microbes & viruses

Fresh lettuce, cabbage and tomatoes may have the dirt in which they grew still clinging to them. Eggs can have residue of that end of the chicken from which they exit. Rural communities in the Caribbean may have no major sanitary infrastructure, and any dirt can have lots of microbes or viruses. Anything you can not peel must get washed thoroughly in bleached or limed water, or with white vinegar.

Wash your hands like your mother told you to and your Psychology 101 instructor made you ashamed to. After shaking hands with someone or handling money, keep your hands
away from all bodily orifices until you can clean them.
 

Rocky

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For the experienced expats....I know to buy bottle water for drinking, cleaning vegetables,
Agreed.

brushing teeth etc., keeping mouth closed while taking a shower
That's tough to do when you live here all year round.
I think most of us use tap water and are very careful not to swallow.

and boil water for cooking.
That may be adequate for health reasons, but it can affect the flavour in a negative way.
We always use the bottled water for boiling anything, making tea, coffee, cooking veggies, etc.

However, on a daily basis, do you find that you cannot eat certain foods because of the parasites, if so, which foods?
I avoid prepared food from street vendors.


Do we Americans and Europeans ever become immune to the parasites?
Never.

Lastly could you offer any words of widsom on the subject of parasites...
Minimize the risks. Consider suggestions below. Get tested once a year and take the appropriate medicine for anything they find.
Parasites, amoebas and such seem as unavoidable as germs in your mouth.
One has to make efforts to minimize them and keep them under control.

maybe vitamins or herbs taken to combat parasites??
Apple cider vinegar and/or lime juice, both can change your PH balance to make it unfriendly for parasites, while still being ok for you.
 

Hillbilly

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Unless you are a glutton that must eat at every street corner; a slovenly person that does not take baths or wash your hands (Loved the above comments on that!); an inbred hick that just HAS to walk around barefoot--you should not have too many problems. Really.

I mean I have lived here for like centuries and while I have to admit to at least one case in parasites--quickly and effectively removed with local pharmaceutical decades ago--and at least one or two cases of food poisoning...none of it was fatal...

What I mean to say is that reasonable precautions: wash your hands, peel it or cook it well...will serve you well. If you live here, you learn just how to do this on a regular basis. If you are a visitor, just be smart. The hotels really do a good job regarding what they feed you, so you should be fine there. As for swallowing water during your shower? Not a major threat. Brush your teeth with bottled water. Do not walk barefoot...most Dominicans do not so why should you???

And do not worry so much....

HB
 

Rocky

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Unless you are a glutton that must eat at every street corner; a slovenly person that does not take baths or wash your hands (Loved the above comments on that!); an inbred hick that just HAS to walk around barefoot--you should not have too many problems. Really.

I mean I have lived here for like centuries and while I have to admit to at least one case in parasites--quickly and effectively removed with local pharmaceutical decades ago--and at least one or two cases of food poisoning...none of it was fatal...

What I mean to say is that reasonable precautions: wash your hands, peel it or cook it well...will serve you well. If you live here, you learn just how to do this on a regular basis. If you are a visitor, just be smart. The hotels really do a good job regarding what they feed you, so you should be fine there. As for swallowing water during your shower? Not a major threat. Brush your teeth with bottled water. Do not walk barefoot...most Dominicans do not so why should you???

And do not worry so much....

HB
I'm curious about the barefoot thing.
Is there a perceived danger for parasites, from going barefoot?

On another note, this thread may serve to also get a bit of a census going amongst the expats, as to how many use bottled water vs tap water for brushing their teeth.
 
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Another way to avoid coming in contact with parasites is to stay away from the animacion teams in the resorts............
 

Squat

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I'm curious about the barefoot thing.
Is there a perceived danger for parasites, from going barefoot?
I don't know about barefoot, but this tropical bun here has been walking with flip-flops most exclusively for the last 15 years, and I am still alive & kickin' ! :)


how many use bottled water vs tap water for brushing their teeth.
It never happened ! I have been brushing my teeth with tap water for the last 15 years... I am still doing it, & feel just fine...


We always use the bottled water for boiling anything, making tea, coffee, cooking veggies, etc.
Well... I always used tap water for my coffee, spaghettis, veggies and so on... Never had a problem...
 

Rocky

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Well... I always used tap water for my coffee, spaghettis, veggies and so on... Never had a problem...
Try making two pots of tea or coffee, one with tap water, the other with bottled and you'll see the difference in flavour.

PS: Pardon me for hijacking.
This thread is of great importance to all, as parasites can be a major problem.
 
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gini

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Try making two pots of tea or coffee, one with tap water, the other with bottled and you'll see the difference in flavour.

PS: Pardon me for hijacking.
This thread is of great importance to all, as parasites can be a major problem.

It depends a lot on the origin of your tap water ! In some areas, tap water is naturaly safe, but in some others...beurkkkk !

Water analysis are not easy to perform and give you results you can not rely on some days after ! Things are so quickly changing in a short time there !
 

EnclineDesigns

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I'm curious about the barefoot thing also? I'm not a hillbilly barefoot walking person but I do enjoy my flip flops quite well :)

This all has some great opinions/suggestions. It's interesting that some use tap water for brushing teeth, last time I was there I was told to use bottled water even when brushing my teeth.
 

Lambada

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We've been using tap water for teeth washing from day one - 15 years now & no ill effects. Like Rocky we use bottled water for making coffee & for cooking items which absorb water i.e. pasta. Hard veggies i.e. potatoes I boil in tap water. I wash salad veggies in tap water - I've heard some people use chloro but we don't. However we do put chloro in the cysterna from time to time so there is always a miniscule amount in any water we use. If I'm soaking chunks of coconut to keep it fresh, I use bottled water.

We never eat from street vendors, nor drink the local drinks with crushed ice from street vendors and never go barefoot other than occasionally inside the house. I do believe that over time you build up an immunity to the local bugs but it'll never be total. In 15 years I've had one case of giardia (which became 2 because I didn't get rid of it properly first time around :ermm:), one case of toxoplasmosis when I had already contracted schistosomiasis (bilharzia) from swimming in an inland lake. Chances are the toxoplasmosis would not have developed if I hadn't already got the schistosomiasis. The schisto was quickly dealt with but the antibodies show up in blood tests for years afterwards - tests this year were at long last clear - it took 12 years for antibodies to leave the system!!

There is a medicine available everywhere called Fel 6 (Fel Seis) - it's pretty much like the worming mixture we give to dogs :) and many locals swear by it. The illnesses described above happened during our first few years here with the exception of the giardia which happened about 6 years ago. Cooking in our house is done by me, Mercedes doesn't cook for us at all.

We haven't experienced parasites as a huge problem at all. It's quite useful when you get them because it can be a wake up call to combat complacency :) . I consider myself pretty healthy. When we were new 15 years ago an experienced expat told us we'd get 'the worms' once a year at least. It never happened.
 

EnclineDesigns

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There is a medicine available everywhere called Fel 6 (Fel Seis) - it's pretty much like the worming mixture we give to dogs :) and many locals swear by it. QUOTE]

I'm glad to hear some mostly positive experiences. It seems that over all, the opinion is, keep your hands washed and out of your mouth etc. and take proper precautions when cooking. I would never eat from a street vendor even if parasites weren't an issue.:ermm:

Have you personally taken Fel 6?

Does anyone know of anything else that may be a good idea to take?

In the past, my relatives used this citrus solution (purchased in the US from a vitamin shop. I believe it was extract from grapefruit seed) when in DR and this was said to work well in combating parasites....anyone know of this?
 

Rocky

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Have you personally taken Fel 6?
I have, but who knows if it was needed or helped?
I am told by doctors that it covers 6 types of parasites, but not all, which is why I have decided to get tested periodically and only take the medicine needed.

Does anyone know of anything else that may be a good idea to take?
There is another similar product, although I can't remember what it's called, but same problem as above.

In the past, my relatives used this citrus solution (purchased in the US from a vitamin shop. I believe it was extract from grapefruit seed) when in DR and this was said to work well in combating parasites....anyone know of this?
The product you speak of probably changes your PH balance, as limes do, and considering how accessible and cheap limes are, there's not much sense in opting for something that is not as proven as the limes, and likely to be more expensive.
 

Kiboko

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We use bottled water to boil pasta and rice and make soups and coffee, but use tap water to clean fruit and salad and brush our teeth. It seems a little illogical to be careful about one but not the other, but we haven't had any problems (touch wood) in a year and a half. The only time we ever get ill is at hotels. What kind of clinic do you need to go to to get tested for parasites?
 

AZB

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tap water all the way, except for drinking.
i brush with tap water, cook food with tap water, boil pasta potatoes and even boil rice with tap water. I am still alive.
AZB