Beaver Fever

The Truth about Giardia

-- by Tamarack Song

            Sooner or later, almost everyone who spends time in the wilds comes down with it. Whether you know it as Montezuma's Revenge, Beaver Fever, Forest Flu, or The Trots; everybody knows it as Hell. Gut cramps, diarrhea, foul smelling burps, gas. The worst cases leave you nauseous and fatigued, with no appetite. Not a fun topic, for sure, but it's wrecked too many otherwise-beautiful outdoor adventures to ignore it.

Unfortunately, much of what we know about preventing Beaver Fever is bogus, which is why people keep getting sick. It turns out that the common preventive practice, filtering/sterilizing water, doesn't do much good. Fortunately, new research and field tests are showing the way to stay healthy in the wilderness--without fancy equipment or test tube concoctions.

 So how is Beaver Fever spread, and how can it be prevented? I thought I knew the answers--until one fateful wild river trip when over half of the people who entrusted me with their well-being, got sick. Buck Tilton from NOLS (National Outdoor Leadership School) had sixty percent of his students drop out a course because they got sick, and I had heard many other stories. OK, I wasn't alone, but that was small comfort to the miserable-looking lot huddled around the campfire.

Fortunately, it no longer has to be that way. Let's take a look...

What causes Beaver Fever?

It could be caused by any of hundreds of bacteria, protozoans, or viruses, and new buggers are brought back regularly by world travelers. Yet Giardia, a one-celled intestinal parasite, is the usual culprit. The condition is officially known as Giardiasis, yet most people simply call it Giardia.

Why is it such a problem?

·   It's everywhere. 7% of Americans are carriers and the percentage is several times higher for outdoors people, children, and the world population in general.

·   It's easily spread. Combine poor hygiene with the fact that a million Giardia organisms can hitch a ride under a single fingernail, and in no time your camp will be doing the Aztec Quickstep.

·   It's persistent. Cysts can live several months outside the body.

How is it spread?

For years it has been presumed that Giardia was spread by water contaminated with animal feces, which is why the name Beaver Fever. Hikers and campers have continually been warned not to drink untreated wild water by the medical profession, outdoor experts, and the Forest Service and other agencies.

It turns out they weren't entirely wrong: they knew there was a Bear in the woods, but they were barking up the wrong tree. Studies have shown that a high percentage of Beaver, Muskrats, and Cattle are infected with Giardia, so it was assumed they were the primary source of the Giardia organism infecting humans. That is until the growing amount of data showing that Beaver living downstream from campgrounds have a high Giardia infection rate, compared with a near-zero rate for Beaver living in more remote areas. Here we were blaming the poor Beaver, and it now looked like we were infecting them!

Sure enough; a 1979 study concluded that “humans are considered the most important component" in the spread of Giardia. More recently, an article in the 1990 issue of the scientific journal Environmental Management states that “waterborne transmission of Giardia is believed to be the least common mode of transmission overall.”

(Text Box Insert) Caution

Even though drinking wild water is not as risky as once thought, I still recommend purifying it, unless you are under the supervision of a knowledgeable wilderness guide with a long track record of safety. There may be local contaminants you are not aware of. (End Insert)

With Beaver now off the hook, here are the real ways Giardia is spread:

·   Touching something that has come into contact with Giardia-infected feces, such as hands, towels, clothing, shoes, feet.

·   Eating raw or partially cooked food contaminated with Giardia.

·   Swallowing lake, river, or spring water contaminated by sewage or infected feces (low on the risk list--drinking heavily contaminated water causes Giardia in only one of nine cases).

·   In civilization, touching Giardia-contaminated surfaces such as bathroom fixtures, doorknobs, changing tables, diaper pails, and toys.

One problem I face with almost every group is the "None of us are sick; why should we be so careful?" attitude. Just because a person is healthy doesn't mean he's not infected. In fact, most carriers show no symptoms. All it takes is someone being stressed or run down and the bugger will take advantage.

How to prevent Giardia

Because there are more--and riskier--ways of contracting Giardia through improper hygiene than through bad water, preventive hygiene is the answer. Outdoors, where cleanliness is lax due to group cooking and lack of running water, along with outdoor bathing, cleaning, and toilet facilities, strict hygienic practices are necessary to prevent infection and illness. Space is limited here; however, if you would like a copy of Camp Hygiene Guidelines, along with a more detailed report on Giardia, send an SASE to Teaching Drum Outdoor School, 7124 Military Rd, Three Lakes Wisconsin, 54562. Or you may request an e-copy from office@teachingdrum.org.

As researcher Robert Rockwell states, “If you contract Giardia in the backcountry, blame your friends…not the water.” Even if you don't care much for your fellow man, at least you now know what to do to keep those cute little Beaver from getting The Fever.