Montezuma’s Revenge or in other Words – E.Coli Contaminated Water
The sun is shining, the kids are playing and you’re sipping a margarita at a beachside resort in the Coastal Southeast. Sounds like paradise, right? Except, you didn’t realize that your margarita was filled with ice that was not properly filtered to eliminate any contaminants in the water. Before too long, your stomach rumbles, a painful cramp develops in your abdomen, and you need to run to the restroom. You don’t leave the restroom for hours. Your family worries about you after your third day on the toilet, but they enjoy their vacation and you don’t. If you can relate to this story, you may have at one time experienced Montezuma’s Revenge, otherwise known as Traveler’s Diarrhea. According to WebMD, Montezuma’s Revenge is an intestinal infection that is the result of consuming contaminated food or water (or ice).
Aztec Legend
Unfortunately, this bacterial contaminant is found everywhere, despite its (rather interesting) Mexican history and etymology. Montezuma, after all, was the last Aztec emperor of Mexico, who was overrun by invading Spanish Conquistadors in the 1500s. According to an article by the National Institute of Health (NIH), Aztec legend suggests that Montezuma plotted his “revenge” post-mortem, against all tourists or invaders in his region, by gifting them with near-fatal diarrhea. While we now understand that symptoms associated with Montezuma’s Revenge are not only common to Mexico, the Mayo Clinic reports that the diarrhea-causing contaminant resides within the intestines of most healthy adults (click here to learn more). Nevertheless, inside the gut is where the bacteria should remain if one wishes to avoid the ugly symptoms of Escherichia coli, (or E.Coli) contamination, also known as “Montezuma’s Revenge.”
E.Coli Contamination
According to the USGS, E. Coli bacterial contamination is often caused by human (or animal) fecal waste mixing with various water sources. If you have ever seen “No Swim” advisories at your local beach, it is probably the result of E.Coli contamination. Consuming such E.Coli contaminated water (or ice) is how Montezuma’s Revenge can get the better of you. Especially while you are on vacation, it is wise to take nothing for granted. Accordingly, the CDC and WHO suggest boiling water when water filtration systems are not readily available to you. Water and ice sources are not always known factors, and you cannot see if E.Coli is lurking in the ice that you bring to your hotel room.
Prevent E.Coli Contamination
Some beachside resorts and corporate office spaces may set themselves apart by offering UV sanitization in combination with multi-stage filtration of their water and ice. This is said to be the most effective way to disinfect bacteria (even E.Coli) from water. Without sacrificing taste or safety, UV systems are responsible for destroying 99.9% of harmful microorganisms that may cause Montezuma’s Revenge.
If you’re interested in learning more about water solutions that utilize this effective approach, for your clients or employees, click here. Optimum Water Solutions provides Americans with technologically advanced water coolers to enable safe (and uncontaminated) access to clean drinking water and ice. With multistage filtration and reverse osmosis, Optimum provides the cleanest, purest-tasting water on demand (and ice), so that you might imagine that you’re back at the resort. Enjoy. Clearly. Pure. Water.
