Getting sick is never fun, but getting sick while you’re on vacation is pretty much the worst thing that can happen to you short of getting stuck on an elevator with a politician who won’t shut up. However, slightly worse than that is getting avoidably sick while you’re on vacation. That is, getting sick due to something you could have avoided with a little planning and foresight, particularly if it’s your children who wind up getting sick.
If you get sick while you’re in London there are a lot of options open to you. But if you get sick in some other country, you may find yourself up that well-known creek without a paddle. Don’t chance it. Before you leave on vacation, make sure you know which countries have safe drinking water so you and your children won’t get sick.
Water Borne Illnesses
The old saying, “Don’t drink the water,” became an old saying for a reason. Bacteria that are carried in water are the most common reason people get sick on holiday. Some of the bacteria that can occur in water are as follows;
Legionella
This is a bacteria that thrives in warm water and is naturally out in the environment. The warm waters of slow-moving rivers are a favorite place for this bacteria to live. Getting it in your lungs will result in Legionnaires disease, a form of pneumonia.
Enteroviruses
These are a whole group of viruses such as coxsackieviruses, echoviruses, and polioviruses, including 62 different non-polio viruses. These viruses can cause a whole host of diseases from gastroenteritis to meningitis.
E Coli
This is an old favorite. E coli and fecal coliform are waterborne bacteria that live on animal and human waste. They love slow, warm, muddy water. It is a perfect haven for them.
There are – literally – hundreds of other bacteria that swarm in the water (tap water and otherwise) of many foreign countries. You obviously can’t carry two or three weeks worth of water with you when you go on vacation overseas, so what can you do to protect yourself and your children?
Treating The Water
Knowing how to treat the water is one step. Chlorine, ozone, and UV lamps are three of the most popular and easy to use methods to sanitize the water and keep yourself healthy.
Chlorine is used in swimming pools to keep the water clean and free of dangerous pathogens. Chlorine tablets have been widely used to disinfect drinking water. The military often issues chlorine tablets to their troops to keep them from getting sick from the local water when sending them overseas.
Ozone is also an effective treatment for sanitizing your drinking water. It is frequently used in place of chlorine tablets.
UV lamps are increasing in popularity as technology improves and the price comes down. For those who don’t trust chemicals, UV lamps may be the way to go.
Heading For Europe
North America, Australia, New Zealand, and Europe have the cleanest, safest drinking water in the world. The only country in the Middle East with safe drinking water is Israel because they’re the only ones who have invested in the required infrastructure. The oil-rich countries in the Middle East have safe water in the area right around the hotels and tourist hot spots, but the moment you get away from that section you’re on your own.
The Mediterranean islands, all part of Europe, have clean drinking water too. In fact, if you want to spend your holidays in somewhere like Malta, feel free to dive right in.
The Island Nation of Malta
The Republic of Malta is about 40-50 miles south of Sicily. It measures just 95 square miles and has a native population of less than 450,000. Maltese and English are the two official languages in Malta so you’ll be easily understood by everyone you meet. The capital city of Valletta sits right on the northeast coast. On a clear day, you can almost see the southern tip of Sicily.
There is plenty to see and do in Malta since you don’t have to worry about the drinking water. Your children won’t be getting sick from the water, which leaves your family free to explore over 122 miles of beautiful coastline. There are white sandy beaches, rugged cliffs, and of course, crystal clear Mediterranean waters.
Malta has family-friendly tours, wonderful caves for you to wander around in – both by land and by sea – as well as numerous hiking and biking trails inland. Valletta even has a guided Segway tour if you feel like taking the easy way out. And you can visit the set where Game of Thrones was filmed, guided by actors who were on the show.
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