Several people were sickened by a parasite, New Hampshire health officials said Saturday, as they investigated whether drinking natural spring water was the cause.
Five cases of giardia, in late August, have been identified, the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services said Saturday. Four of those people reported drinking from a spring on Old Franconia Road in Bethlehem, and investigators were working to determine which spring the fifth reported drinking from.
Officials urged anyone who drank from the spring in Bethlehem, which flows from a white pipe into a roadside bowl, to look out for symptoms of the sickness that giardia can cause: diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea, gas and dehydration.
Officials said that the owner of the Bethlehem property where the spring under investigation — water sampling was in the works — had shut off the water proactively. They noted that springs aren’t concerned potable, with the potential for harboring germs.
“Untreated water from springs, lakes, rivers, and other naturally occurring water sources can contain Giardia and harmful bacteria,” State Epidemiologist Dr. Benjamin Chan said in a statement. “Water from these natural sources might look clean, but it could still be unsafe. The safest option is to avoid drinking from natural springs and other water sources that may be untreated.”
Asher Klein
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