Water Born Parasites In The Water ?

[english_farang_lady]

We have been in Thailand for about two years. We lived in a house in Pattaya (mains water and private well), then moved to Bkk, to a serviced apartment (water was ok), and now back to Pattaya in another serviced apartment.

Despite efective HRT, primarily to control the symptoms of intense itching and flushes, I am still having the itching really badly. If anything, it is now far worse. I have about 12 lesions (smallish) on each leg, on my back (which drives me nuts) and on my arms. The itching is intense and feels like something trying to get in (or possibly out).

I'm now beginning to wonder if the water here is to blame? I am very fair skinned, and super-sensitive to anything touching my skin. The place we are staying is almost new, but the water always comes out of the taps smelling absolutely gross, and almost brown. I asked them about it, and gather there is nothing they can do. Their 'technician' told me the water comes from the roof. Is it possible there is an open water tank up there collecting the water we get out of the taps? I know building regs in other countries would be strict on this, but I realise this is Thailand. I'm rather nervous of actually looking.

I've tried putting on various skin lotions, but they all just make me sticky. Does anyone have any information about possible water born parasites which could cause intense itching? I am going to get a thyroid test next time I have to have a blood test, but wonder if the root cause is in the water?

I have tried just about everything I can think of to combat this --- from anti-histamine cream to lots of garlic, and just about everything in between. Any help would be much appreciated.

[jcgodber]

Hay ! Call me crazy but my very first thought was "BED BUGS"

About water and filters----

Either you buy and use a water filter OR you are the filter.

I would chose to buy a water filter PLUS you should pass the water through a UV Filter to be completly safe and virus free.

Jim

[junkofdavid2]

Rashes can also come from high chlorine content of water.

[pumpuiman]

Hay ! Call me crazy but my very first thought was "BED BUGS"

I had em' in Fiji.....Here's how to know if it's bed bugs...they leave an easily identifiable trail on your skin. A series of red dots in a line (not random single dots)

[Naam]

I would chose to buy a water filter PLUS you should pass the water through a UV Filter to be completly safe and virus free.

Jim

and then you take the bucket with the filtered water and have a "shower". simple and efficient engineering!

[english_farang_lady]

Thanks for replies - had thought of bed bugs, but virtually new matresses, 100% cotton sheets, changed three times per week. Ramdom red dots, not really a rash. Sheets are definitely clean, well laundered. Stopped having a bath and now stick to shower only. I did not know viruses could be in water - yeuk. Catching rainwater is fine, but surely they filter it first. Seeems doubtful as the stench when turning on the tap is truly horrific. It is not just a back up of sewer gas (which we also get, since no vent pipe on soil pipe).

[peter991]

Bed Bugs home page - very interesting reading

Peter

[solo siam]

Allergy to the washing powder for your clothes?

[english_farang_lady]

Eeeeewwww! Great site for bugs, very interesting, but also pretty yeuky. Thankfully, I'm pretty sure it isn't that, nor allergy to soap powder. Thanks anyhow.

Thanks for replies - had thought of bed bugs, but virtually new matresses, 100% cotton sheets, changed three times per week. Ramdom red dots, not really a rash. Sheets are definitely clean, well laundered. Stopped having a bath and now stick to shower only. I did not know viruses could be in water - yeuk. Catching rainwater is fine, but surely they filter it first. Seeems doubtful as the stench when turning on the tap is truly horrific. It is not just a back up of sewer gas (which we also get, since no vent pipe on soil pipe).

[cathyy]

There's always the scabies possibility, too, or impetigo.

The water is most likely contaminated with any number of water borne parasites, bacteria, and viruses. You actually bathed in this water?

[english_farang_lady]

Hi Cathyy - Yep, had little choice really, moved into a newish block of serviced apartments here in Pattaya. The water is more fetid than it was when we first moved in, I stupidly just assumed that the water would be coming from the mains, but it seems not.

Thankfully, we are moving out in a week or two. I had no idea that viruses could be water borne, but makes sense. I've always been rather a scratcher but not to this extent, drawing blood even with short nails. It is awful!

[Orion76]

I have tried just about everything I can think of to combat this --- from anti-histamine cream to lots of garlic, and just about everything in between.

Have you tried seeing a dermatologist?

[Farma]

I wonder if the water is being pumped from a dam into the roof holding tank. There's swimmers itch found in dams thats caused by parasites and they could be entering your water supply.

This web site has photos, symtoms and treatment. http://dermnetnz.org/arthropods/swimmers-itch.html

[english_farang_lady]

Hi Farma -- Many thanks for this useful info. Yep, I think that is it. Starts out as a small red raised dot, then grows into a larger white bump (or a large abrasion if I scratch it open, which is very difficult to resist). The article says that the initial invasion may cause problems for those who are sensitised. I did have a dose of 'tumbu fly' many years ago in Lagos when we lived there, solved by thick vaseline (to cut of the air supply).

The 'serviced apartments' we are staying at are newly built, well furnished, and in a convenient location just off Sukhumvit. Having been an hotelier myself, I know that the people running it at not professional caterers/inkeepers. Obviously someone trying to get in on the influx of farang to Pattaya. They have cut corners on various other things, (like using double sheets for a queen size bed), something I did not realise until we moved in.

Cant 'rock the boat' too much since they need to return a rather large deposit to us when we leave, but a clue to those who are looking at serviced apartments in Pattaya is you may want to think twice if you are fair skinned and considering the one with siamese/co-joined ***** in the name.

We are moving into an hotel for the remainder of our stay, to get a fresh water supply. The water which comes out of the taps, bathroom and kitchen, smells like something died in the water tank. It is also a deep orangey rusty colour. But the smell is much worse now, than it was a month ago.

I'm posting this in the hope that it will help someone else avoid this horrible skin problem. Dont assume your water supply if from a reliable source, and especially if you are fair skinned/blue eyes, check it out. The link that Farma kindly provided gives full information, and pleased to say that I am doing everything they say one should do.

I'm using 1% cortisone cream (only when really bad, and not for more than a few days), and so far with that and Dettol antiseptic cream, have avoided any of the 25 lesions turning septic. The next stage would be taking oral cortisone like Prednisone which I really want to avoid, as I know from past experience, this is only a short term quick fix. Had my fill of docs lately, so wanted to avoid yet another specialists appointment if possible, hence the self-treatment.

Many thanks for everyone who took the trouble and time to reply; much appreciated. EFL

[english_farang_lady]

Sorry left out this bit from above, name in Thai for this nasty is "Hoi Con".

[ballbreaker]

Has anyone asked the management to iinspect the tank because maybe something has died in tank.

[gzu88bv]

About water and filters----

Either you buy and use a water filter OR you are the filter.

I would chose to buy a water filter PLUS you should pass the water through a UV Filter to be completly safe and virus free.

Very good point indeed! Because if there is a problem with water, they just increase the chlorine content, whereever that is.

Therefore I only use bottled water for driniking, not for cooking of course or for brushing my teeth.

[english_farang_lady]

I wish over-chlorination was the problem:It is not. There is not any chlorine in the water. I have photos of the "water supply" system, four upended huge diametered concrete pipe segments in the car park, open to the air, with a Heath Robinson type tangle of blue plastic pipes emerging from them.

Today again the rudimentary 'collander' system has failed. Therefore the water is stagnating. It is totally open to the skies (probably to catch rain water) so anything could be in there. The back two are a murky orangey yellow, and the front two are green. I will post pics after we have left, which thankfully will be soon.

'Management' here does not exist. One man lounging around the lobby, and various (helpful) Thai ladies sweeeping and cleaning. Oh and one very rude and bossy receptionist.

Just someone trying to cash in on the farang boom here, and who can blame them? But if they are charging farang prices (which they are) then they should provide at least a certain level of service and standards. But then, TIT, and no one made us stay here. My fault for assuming the water would be usable.

[deejah]

i suppose you are out by now

but if you read this:

how many units are in that complex, please?

i wonder how many people you talked to about this (that live there)

and how they cope with the water situation

sounds somewhat unbearable

how common is water like this in thailand???

and has the skin problem subsided?

i hope so

[Tony Clifton]

I would discretely dump loads of food coloring in the tanks, a nice Irish green along with a liter of dish washing liquid in each. Then they may do something about it.

[mark100]

We have been in Thailand for about two years. We lived in a house in Pattaya (mains water and private well), then moved to Bkk, to a serviced apartment (water was ok), and now back to Pattaya in another serviced apartment.

Despite efective HRT, primarily to control the symptoms of intense itching and flushes, I am still having the itching really badly. If anything, it is now far worse. I have about 12 lesions (smallish) on each leg, on my back (which drives me nuts) and on my arms. The itching is intense and feels like something trying to get in (or possibly out).

I'm now beginning to wonder if the water here is to blame? I am very fair skinned, and super-sensitive to anything touching my skin. The place we are staying is almost new, but the water always comes out of the taps smelling absolutely gross, and almost brown. I asked them about it, and gather there is nothing they can do. Their 'technician' told me the water comes from the roof. Is it possible there is an open water tank up there collecting the water we get out of the taps? I know building regs in other countries would be strict on this, but I realise this is Thailand. I'm rather nervous of actually looking.

I've tried putting on various skin lotions, but they all just make me sticky. Does anyone have any information about possible water born parasites which could cause intense itching? I am going to get a thyroid test next time I have to have a blood test, but wonder if the root cause is in the water?

I have tried just about everything I can think of to combat this --- from anti-histamine cream to lots of garlic, and just about everything in between. Any help would be much appreciated.

Strangely enough l was watching a programme on the tv last night on this subject, Thailand has many water-born parasites and worms. Worth a check-up at the hosipital to be on the safe side, nearly all the parasites are treatable with antibiotics if caught early enough, some can turn quite nasty if left for a period of time especially the flesh eating ones.

[stevenjm]

had this in Cambodia and so did friend staying with me at the time. can relate to your itching and everything else. Think mine came from bore water but maybe not. it seems to subside after a couple of weeks but if its the same thing I had, shistomisis, then you really should get the proper oral drug thats available for it. I did not and lost heaps of weight and started having kidney trouble, it can destroy your internal organs if not treated properly.

Had raised eaoseniphile(?) levels on blood test and was hospitalised for a week. suggest you do google search for the name of the drug and take it. It enters body and blood from cut or open wound while in suspect water.

[stevenjm]

english_farang_lady, if you value your health please read this:

http://www.cdc.gov/NCIDOD/DPD/parasites/sc...stosomiasis.htm

[stevenjm]

Treatment:

Until the 1970's, treatment of schistosomiasis was nearly as dangerous as the disease itself. Modern treatment is effective and without risk. Three new drugs have revolutionized treatment:

* Praziquantel - effective in the treatment of all forms of schistosomiasis, with virtually no side effects

* Oxamniquine - used exclusively to treat intestinal schistosomiasis in Africa and South America

* Metrifonate - effective for the treatment of urinary schistosomiasis

Modern diagnostic techniques are simple, easy to apply and cost very little. Although reinfection may occur after treatment, the risk of serious disease developing in the body organs has been greatly reduced, and it has been observed that there is a marked regression of lesions in young children following treatment of the infection. In the majority of localities where treatment is provided, the total number of cases is reduced within 18 to 24 months. In other localities, according to the local situation, the prevalence has been substantially reduced, and it is encouraging to note that no further intervention is required for intervals between 2 and 5 years.

[ProThaiExpat]

200 Baht spent on a visit to a board certified dermatologist is the logical start to get a diagnosis. Then go from there.

[stevenjm]

200 Baht spent on a visit to a board certified dermatologist is the logical start to get a diagnosis. Then go from there.

Agreed, and especially given theres a good chance its shisto and the drug is safe to take just like a worming tablet. hate to see you go what I went through as the nz site reffered to gives incomplete info on the dangers involved.

[deejah]

i was convinced i had intestinal parasites

cheaper and easier to take the meds than a test

there is a one dose medication you can get easily, the import is better

i think once a year might be a good idea for prevention/treatment

i did feel better the 2 times i took it

of course it will not treat all parasites

i saw, more than once, a small red worm in the toilet (fresh water)

finally i took one to the pharmacy

some thought is was a pasasite but the final word from a good source was that these are quite common in the fresh water tanks in thailand and are not parsites at all

small redish worms

how common are intestinal parasites from eating thai (street) food???

one time i saw a vendor putting fresh produce on a scale she just weighed raw meat and chicken with

seen this on wooden chopping blocks too

OMG!!!

[Orion76]

i saw, more than once, a small red worm in the toilet (fresh water)

finally i took one to the pharmacy

some thought is was a pasasite but the final word from a good source was that these are quite common in the fresh water tanks in thailand and are not parsites at all

small redish worms

They are mosquito larvae.