These were all verified cases of ONE infectious disease. Giardia.

Get it straight.

Though it's possible hygiene had something to do with some cases, that's not the case with the swiftwater team, or with the SAR team. Swiftwater folks drive or fly to the scene, get in the water, and cannot help but ingest it - there is no backpacking or associated behavior involved. Same with my hiking group - we backpack 1% of the time, cases identified were veteran backpackers who reported histories of having at least one doctor or hospital visit and being diagnosed with giardia, many are reformed solo hikers who now understand that group hiking is safer or just want company on the trail. We warn each other.

Water treatment is mandatory now for all our SAR volunteers.