Weils Disease

[Chris Plumb]

Tragic story tucked away on many sports pages today...

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_spor...ing/9124270.stm

 

Weils is a prticularly nasty disease - more so as it's early stages are similar to flu. One for every angler to be aware of.....

 

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weils_disease

 

 

C.

Edited October 26, 2010 by Chris Plumb

[Dick Dastardly]

This may sound a bit callous but I wish they had made a bit more of the fact that its most commonly carried by rats and that litter attracts rats...always struck me as quite ironic that (yes sadly I know anglers also leave rubbish) a lot of the water users who actually go into the water for their sport (sailors,skiers and worse of all Jet Skiers) are the ones who leave a lot of rubbish (as in discarded food remains etc)

 

The more publicity Leptospirosis gets the better as its often not recognised in the early stages when it can be successfully treated due to its early symptoms resembling flu. Shame it takes people to die to achieve this.

[Anderoo]

There's a bit in the Guardian about this today: http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/201...ase-andy-holmes

 

Always worth bearing in mind...

[Steve Walker]

Just in the context of the suggestion made in one of those links that running water is safer - I've seen it suggested that the risk is as much from damp bankside vegetation and mud as from the water itself, which makes sense - rats don't go into the water to pee, they just dribble it everywhere leaving scent trails behind them. You are going to be exposed to massively more concentrated rat urine if you put your hand down on a damp grassy bank which is on a rat-run than if you merely touch the water.

[Gog]

Just in the context of the suggestion made in one of those links that running water is safer - I've seen it suggested that the risk is as much from damp bankside vegetation and mud as from the water itself, which makes sense - rats don't go into the water to pee, they just dribble it everywhere leaving scent trails behind them. You are going to be exposed to massively more concentrated rat urine if you put your hand down on a damp grassy bank which is on a rat-run than if you merely touch the water.

 

Spilt bait around anglers pegs is very likely to be attractive to rats - more so than clean, unfished banks between swims. Any rats at the venue are likely to be concentrated around anglers swims. It is in our own best interests to clean up thoroughly at the end of each session. Our lives could depend on it.

[Elton]

One of the guys on our Facebook page got it from a fox. Makes quite interesting reading:

 

http://www.facebook.com/AnglersNet

[Anderoo]

Just in the context of the suggestion made in one of those links that running water is safer - I've seen it suggested that the risk is as much from damp bankside vegetation and mud as from the water itself, which makes sense - rats don't go into the water to pee, they just dribble it everywhere leaving scent trails behind them. You are going to be exposed to massively more concentrated rat urine if you put your hand down on a damp grassy bank which is on a rat-run than if you merely touch the water.

 

Good point Steve.

[Steve Walker]

Spilt bait around anglers pegs is very likely to be attractive to rats - more so than clean, unfished banks between swims. Any rats at the venue are likely to be concentrated around anglers swims. It is in our own best interests to clean up thoroughly at the end of each session. Our lives could depend on it.

 

True. But you can still find rats in the most pristine of waters; I thought I had a water vole in my swim at the last Wingham fish-in, until I saw the bugger and found it was "special kind of hamster"

[Big Easy]

Good post, it could affect any of us.

 

There is an interesting link off the Wikipedia website to 'Prevention' and the reference to a drug. Not sure I really understand the ramifications of taking it but worthy of futher investigation ? Especially for those waters with a track record or those infested with our 'hamster friends' ....................

 

Ian

[Dick Dastardly]

Possibly one of the biggest problems with Weil's is that in relation to the massive numbers of people who potentially come into contact with it very few actually get it.Even water/sewage works type people are only briefed on it and no "preventative medication" is used routinely...............but of course for those who contract it and dont realise/get diagnosed early enough...........

 

High risk people are always briefed to look out for flu type symptoms and if attending a Dr with them to let him know you may regularly come into contact with possible Weils........................but I doubt many GPS would take much notice.