Moscow Travel Forum

hi all
i am aware that you should boil water in russia and drink bottled

but how rampant is giardia or cryptosporidium

when we had a water scare here at home we were told to boil the water for 10 mins before drinking to kill giardia parasites

you reckon it is ok to drink the coffee then in dafes?
anyone ever get sick with parasites or e coli?

i have bought some diarrhoea pills that kinda line your system with protection against the basic germs that cause vomiting and diarrhoea but i guess id have to get a specific test for parasitic infestation

it is just that we will be travelling for a while after our russian leg so i really dont want to ruin the rest of the trip with stomach ailments

thanks
looking forward to your reassurance!

You get it in St Pete - but it's rarer in Moscow , just boil tap water a couple of times or just buy bottles you can buy it anywhere. If you get sick drinking coffee you might as well stay home.

10 minutes boiling is unnecessary. Giardia cysts are very small, the biggest I have ever seen about 18 microns. Cryptosporidium oocysts are considerably smaller. They may be resistant to chemical water treatment and filtration, but they are most certainly cooked through in a fraction of a second at 100 degrees C.

A minute is plenty, two minutes at high altitude.

wow
you really soundlike you know what youre talking about!
that is impressive!
crypto sounds like sea monkeys lol

ok
that is pretty reassuring
( better check where the nice american medical centre is - just in case lol)

you can use wine or beer to rinse your mouth out with after brushing your teeth. i found it to cost less than the bottled water in much of europe.

lanerunner you will survive even you will drink tab water:)
but its not tasty because consist clorine
seems you will bring much medicine and kettle:)

p.s. dont buy wine cheapest then bottled water, vodka can desinfect perfect)))))

+1 !! Agree,Marika,vodka is much better than water!But I would recommend use bottled still water for foreigners to avoid diarrhea.

Dear, you are a paranoid :) Russia is not Africa or Asia.
Water quality in Moscow is good. Some times a little bit more chlorinated, then in Europe. But our Water Service last few years start a project with water ionization. You can drink it without fear.
Some times i drink it without boiling, but I'm still safe and sound :)

not paranoid sunny cat
just cautious
we live in a country where kids freely drink from the taps

however i was in hospital once visiting a child who had contracted giardia - yes in our western country

it was during the one and only scare of giardia and crypto in my living memory

the kid i saw was only 4 and was reduced to an agonising writhing mass
it took them several days to identify what was wrong with him

recently there has been another outbreak here in our homeland - this time crypto has been found in public swimming pools

so
yep ithappens
and all the warnings dictate that russian water is not as safe as you intimate
i was wondering how well the water was boiled for coffee

we have other plans after russia and certainly dont want to be nursing a stomach ailment for a few more weeks before we get home and get it properly diagnosed
i spoke to expats who live here
they too spoke of the problems they encountered with water
so it isnt just western gossip

it certainly isnt asia nor is it africa but nor is it like other western nations yet

Oh,yes,absolutely!For instance,water in Ireland is good enuogh to drink from the tap,but there are plenty hospital bugs at maternity hospitals etc.From my experience:when I was living for long time in Ireland and was back home for holydays,a few times I had some troubles with my stomack even I was born in the country called Russia.Then I started to consumpt bottled or filtered water.No more any troubles!I would recommend all travelers to drink bottled or well filtered water everywhere,even in 'safe' countries,because of differ PH,Ca,C and other natural reasons.

okay i have been to the local doctor here and she prescribed some tablets for giardia- just in case
good news is that it isnt all that painful but you succumb to the most awful gas - something that is very easy to diagnose
anway i will fill the script and have the tablets ready
even if it's not giardia the tablets wont hurt

i purchases some travelan tablets that youre supposed to start ahead of the trip to help cope with any bugs but my dr hasnt heard of this so i have possibly wasted my money

anyway - my dr said just to drink coke instead of coffee but i think we will boil some water and keep it in the fridge and boil it as necessary for our morning coffee

it is enough to suffer from stomach problems after cabin pressure in the plane - i dont want to add to any potential problems

good news is that it isnt all that painful but you succumb to the most awful gas -
>
.
I hope the doctor didn't tell you it isn't painful. For many people it is desperate. The gas emissions (at both ends) are certainly a characteristic but there is far more than that. When I was involved in Giardia research, I met one woman (a dentist, actually) who had a long-standing undiagnosed infection. Her condition was so bad and her weight loss so severe, it was thought she had advanced bowel cancer. Once they realised what was wrong with her, she was treated with metronidzole 9probably the pills you have) and she recovered.

At the same time, there are people who have only trivial symptoms.

your doctor must be joking!:)
coke made from local water and any drink that made with preservatives isnot good for stomach.