Diseases Removed By Lifestraw

Waterborne Diseases Removed by LifeStraw and LifeStraw Family

LifeStraw and LifeStraw Family are drinking water filters of the highest standard. Created for use in extreme humanitarian aid conditions, they are tough, efficient, and get the job done. They also are excellent value!

We are often asked for a list of the diseases the LifeStraws remove, so as a guide please refer to the waterborne diseases tables below. This information has been accessed from Wikipedia and we encourage anyone to click on the links and research more on the waterborne diseases we try to avoid, and what some populations live with every day!

LifeStraw removes Protozoal, Parasitic and Bacterial disease producing organisms.

LifeStraw does not claim to remove all Viral diseases, though LifeStraw Family does.

There is never a claim to remove 100%, but figures range from 99.9% to 99.999%, which is as high as rating standards can go. lifeStraws and LifeStraw Family will save your life and are recognised to be extremely effective compared to taking a chance on drinking the water without a LifeStraw.

We have included a few images though we have kept them very mild. If you really want an education, look up images for each of the parasitic infection diseases removed from drinking water by LifeStraw. We have kept the links active.

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waterborne_diseases)

Protozoal infections

Disease and Transmission	Microbial Agent	Sources of Agent in Water Supply	General Symptoms
Amoebiasis(hand-to-mouth)	Protozoan (Entamoeba histolytica) (Cyst-like appearance)	Sewage, non-treated drinking water, flies in water supply	Abdominal discomfort, fatigue, weight loss, diarrhea, bloating,fever
Cryptosporidiosis(oral)	Protozoan (Cryptosporidium parvum)	Collects on water filters and membranes that cannot be disinfected,animal manure, seasonal runoff of water.	Flu-like symptoms, watery diarrhea, loss of appetite, substantial loss of weight, bloating, increased gas, nausea
Cyclosporiasis	Protozoan parasite (Cyclospora cayetanensis)	Sewage, non-treated drinking water	cramps, nausea, vomiting, muscle aches, fever, and fatigue
Giardiasis (fecal-oral) (hand-to-mouth)	Protozoan (Giardia lamblia) Most common intestinal parasite	Untreated water, poor disinfection, pipe breaks, leaks, groundwatercontamination, campgrounds where humans and wildlife use same source of water. Beavers and muskrats create ponds that act asreservoirs for Giardia.	Diarrhea, abdominal discomfort,bloating, and flatulence
Microsporidiosis	Protozoan phylum (Microsporidia), but closely related to fungi	Encephalitozoon intestinalis has been detected in groundwater, the origin of drinking water ^[5]	Diarrhea and wasting inimmunocompromised individuals..

Parasitic infections (Kingdom Animalia)

Disease and Transmission	Microbial Agent	Sources of Agent in Water Supply	General Symptoms
Dracunculiasis(Guinea Worm Disease)	Dracunculus medinensis	Stagnant water containing larvae, generally in parasitised Copepoda	Allergic reaction, urticaria rash, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, asthmatic attack.
Taeniasis	Tapeworms of the genusTaenia	Drinking water contaminated with eggs	Intestinal disturbances, neurologic manifestations, loss of weight, cysticercosis
Fasciolopsiasis	Fasciolopsis buski	Drinking water contaminated with encysted metacercaria	GIT disturbance, diarrhea, liver enlargement, cholangitis, cholecystitis, obstructive jaundice.
Hymenolepiasis(Dwarf Tapeworm Infection)	Hymenolepis nana	Drinking water contaminated with eggs	Abdominal pain, severe weight loss, itching around the anus, nervous manifestation
Echinococcosis(Hydatid disease)	Echinococcus granulosus	Drinking water contaminated with feces (usually canid) containing eggs	Liver enlargement, hydatid cysts press on bile duct and blood vessels; if cysts rupture they can cause anaphylactic shock
coenurosis	multiceps multiceps	contaminated drinking water with eggs	increases intacranial tension
Ascariasis	Ascaris lumbricoides	Drinking water contaminated with feces (usually canid) containing eggs	Mostly, disease is asymptomatic or accompanied by inflammation, fever, and diarrhea. Severe cases involve Löffler's syndrome in lungs, nausea, vomiting,malnutrition, and underdevelopment.
Enterobiasis	Enterobius vermicularis	Drinking water contaminated with eggs	Peri-anal itch, nervous irritability, hyperactivity and insomnia

Bacterial infections

Disease and Transmission	Microbial Agent	Sources of Agent in Water Supply	General Symptoms
Botulism	Clostridium botulinum	Bacteria can enter an open wound from contaminated water sources. Can enter the gastrointestinal tract by consuming contaminateddrinking water or (more commonly) food	Dry mouth, blurred and/or double vision, difficulty swallowing, muscle weakness, difficulty breathing, slurred speech,vomiting and sometimes diarrhea. Death is usually caused byrespiratory failure.
Campylobacteriosis	Most commonly caused by Campylobacter jejuni	Drinking water contaminated withfeces	Produces dysentery like symptoms along with a high fever. Usually lasts 2–10 days.
Cholera	Spread by the bacteriumVibrio cholerae	Drinking water contaminated with the bacterium	In severe forms it is known to be one of the most rapidly fatal illnesses known. Symptoms include very watery diarrhea,nausea, cramps, nosebleed, rapid pulse, vomiting, andhypovolemic shock (in severe cases), at which point death can occur in 12–18 hours.
E. coli Infection	Certain strains ofEscherichia coli(commonly E. coli)	Water contaminated with the bacteria	Mostly diarrhea. Can cause death in immunocompromisedindividuals, the very young, and the elderly due to dehydrationfrom prolonged illness.
Dysentery	Caused by a number of species in the generaShigella and Salmonellawith the most common being Shigella dysenteriae	Water contaminated with the bacterium	Frequent passage of feces with blood and/or mucus and in some cases vomiting of blood.
Legionellosis (two distinct forms: Legionnaires’ disease and Pontiac fever)	Caused by bacteria belonging to genusLegionella (90% of cases caused byLegionella pneumophila)	Contaminated water: the organism thrives in warm aquatic environments.	Pontiac fever produces milder symptoms resembling acuteinfluenza without pneumonia. Legionnaires’ disease has severe symptoms such as fever, chills, pneumonia (with cough that sometimes produces sputum), ataxia, anorexia, muscle aches, malaise and occasionally diarrhea and vomiting
Leptospirosis	Caused by bacterium of genus Leptospira	Water contaminated by the animal urine carrying the bacteria	Begins with flu-like symptoms then resolves. The second phase then occurs involving meningitis, liver damage (causesjaundice), and renal failure
Salmonellosis	Caused by many bacteria of genus Salmonella	Drinking water contaminated with the bacteria. More common as a food borne illness.	Symptoms include diarrhea, fever, vomiting, and abdominal cramps
Typhoid fever	Salmonella typhi	Ingestion of water contaminated withfeces of an infected person	Characterized by sustained fever up to 40°C (104°F), profusesweating, diarrhea, less commonly a rash may occur. Symptoms progress to delirium and the spleen and liverenlarge if untreated. In this case it can last up to four weeks and cause death.
Vibrio Illness	Vibrio vulnificus, Vibrio alginolyticus, and Vibrio parahaemolyticus	Can enter wounds from contaminated water. Also got by drinking contaminated water or eating undercooked oysters.	Symptoms include explosive, watery diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, and occasionally fever.

Viral infections
Removed by LifeStraw Family

Disease and Transmission	Microbial Agent	Sources of Agent in Water Supply	General Symptoms
SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome)	Coronavirus	Manifests itself in improperly treated water	Symptoms include fever, myalgia, lethargy, gastrointestinal symptoms, cough, and sore throat
Hepatitis A	Hepatitis A virus (HAV)	Can manifest itself in water (and food)	Symptoms are only acute (no chronic stage to the virus) and include Fatigue, fever, abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea, weight loss, itching, jaundice and depression.
Poliomyelitis(Polio) Rotary international aims to eradicate Polio, which is no longer common	Poliovirus	Enters water through thefeces of infected individuals	90-95% of patients show no symptoms, 4-8% have minor symptoms (comparatively) with delirium, headache, fever, and occasional seizures, and spastic paralysis, 1% have symptoms of non-paralytic aseptic meningitis. The rest have serious symptoms resulting in paralysis or death
Polyomavirus infection	Two ofPolyomavirus:JC virus andBK virus	Very widespread, can manifest itself in water, ~80% of the population hasantibodies to Polyomavirus	BK virus produces a mild respiratory infection and can infect the kidneys ofimmunosuppressed transplant patients. JC virus infects the respiratory system, kidneys or can cause progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy in the brain(which is fatal).