Leptospirosis - Weil's disease

[heyjude999]

Following the introduction of new site specific rules at our mooring BW are insisting that we wash our boats with canal water.I have found this information below, do you think it is a reasonable request, we are not in an area where there is a water shortage.It is just that they have water metered here.Does this happen at other sites?

 

Is the advice correct or just scaremongering???My other half always has open wounds on his hands just by the nature of his job.

 

ADVICE AND WARNING TO BOATERS

 

Weil’s Disease or Leptospirosis is a water-borne infection that can be transmitted to humans by contact with urine from infected rats or cattle. Although the risk of contracting the illness is extremely low, sensible precautions should be taken as follows:

 

Precautions

 

Prior to any contact with river or canal water, or with structures or banks beside rivers or canals, cover all cuts and abrasions with waterproof dressings.

Avoid full immersion in the water.

After being in contact with river or canal water, or with structures or banks beside rivers or canals, wash all exposed skin thoroughly with antibacterial soap and clean water. If your clothes or footwear are wet or dirty, wash your hands thoroughly after handling them. It is vital that you do this before eating or drinking.

Infection may enter through breaks in the skin, so take particular care to wash any cut, scratch or abrasion immediately. Thoroughly wash the wound in clean water and apply a sterile dressing, with antiseptic if available.

Avoid rubbing your nose, eyes or mouth with your hands as infection may also enter the body orally.

Do not put wet ropes, fishing lines or other objects in your mouth.

URINE IS ALSO PRESENT ON THE BANK - TAKE CARE MOORING

Ask your family and friends to read this information.

Symptoms

 

Symptoms begin between 3 and 21 days after exposure, with an influenza-like illness with severe headache, high fever, tiredness, chills, muscle aches and vomiting. Later symptoms may include jaundice, eye redness, abdominal pain and diarrhoea. Severe cases can cause failure of kidneys or liver. The disease can be fatal – do not ignore symptoms.

 

 

 

MEDICAL ADVICE – FOR THE ATTENTION OF YOUR MEDICAL ATTENDANT

 

The holder of this leaflet is engaged in activities on canals and rivers which may expose him/her to the danger of Leptospirosis (either L. icterohaemorrhagiae or L. hardjo).

 

Early diagnosis and treatment are vital.

 

If this person is suffering from symptoms of Leptospirosis you should notify your Environmental Health Officer immediately. Diagnosis is based on laboratory investigations but early use of antibiotics can greatly shorten the illness. Your Environmental Health Officer, Public Health Laboratory Service or hospital consultant microbiologist will be able to advise you on where these investigations can be undertaken in your area and will be able to offer advice on treatment.

[romarni123]

It is an awful thing to catch and it does kill. Why if they are warning you of the dangers are they then telling you to wash your boat in canal water so exposing you to it even more??

[heyjude999]

Sorry just to be clear BW want us to wash the boats in canal water but a friend pointed out the dangers of doing this by pointing me to this information they had found on the internet.

[Guest wanted]

What's this 'wash boat' business you speak of?

[romarni123]

Sorry just to be clear BW want us to wash the boats in canal water but a friend pointed out the dangers of doing this by pointing me to this information they had found on the internet.

Right am with you , as long as you wear gloves I would think you would be ok. I would defo tell other half to keep cuts covered up I always use an antibac cleaner not sure if it helps though but it makes me feel better

 

What's this 'wash boat' business you speak of?

I just wait till it rains

[Guest wanted]

Right am with you , as long as you wear gloves I would think you would be ok. I would defo tell other half to keep cuts covered up I always use an antibac cleaner not sure if it helps though but it makes me feel better

 

 

I just wait till it rains

 

[Windfola]

I have a friend who caught Weils, and he had a really bad time with it. No long term effects, thankfully.

[Duchess Omnium]

It is a disease you should take seriously. I know a boater who got it and died a year or so ago. He thought he had the flu until it was too late. He was a nice guy -- gave me a gang plank because he had a spare. Every time I look at it I remember to be careful.

 

Having said that, I don't think you are any more at risk washing your boat in canal water than you are handling ropes, windlasses, lock gates, lift bridges etc, not to mention living, working, playing and cruising on and near the canals, clearing the weed hatch, rescuing your cat, etc.

 

Whenever I get someone new on board I give them a little lecture on Weil's Disease and explain my local rule that everyone washes hands after every lock and especially after handling ropes and no one eats or cooks without a thorough scrub.

[mayalld]

Following the introduction of new site specific rules at our mooring BW are insisting that we wash our boats with canal water.

 

I find it hard to believe that BW are insisting that you wash your boats at all.

 

Banning you from using their metered water supply isn't the same as insisting that you use canal water.

[Midnight Rider]

Am I missing something here?

 

Mop, bucket --- why get water on you at all?

[MartinClark]

If your other half always has open wounds on his hands just by the nature of his job, how does he get on when handling wet ropes?

 

I don't like ropes to get wet (i.e. by falling into the canal) but from time to time they manage to get a dunking. You'd have to wear pretty waterproof gloves not to get your hands at all wet when handling the ropes afterwards.

[churchward]

One shouldn't be too dismissive of such diseases but equally we need a sense of proportion too. You are more likely statistically to win the lottery (assuming one bought a ticket!) than catch and die of weils disease.

 

You are also equally likely to catch something grim if you do the gardening with cuts on your hands.

 

Nasty and unlucky if you do mind and it is best to take precautions in washing hands and trying not to fall into often and swallow a lot of canal water but having problems with washing down your boat with a few buckets of it is going to be OK.

[NB Alnwick]

Another source of Leptospirosis infection is drinking beer directly from bottles - people still do it nevertheless.

[Evo]

You tart..I'm sitting here drinking a bottle of bud..put me right off...!!

[Henhouse]

One shouldn't be too dismissive of such diseases but equally we need a sense of proportion too. You are more likely statistically to win the lottery (assuming one bought a ticket!) than catch and die of weils disease.

 

You are also equally likely to catch something grim if you do the gardening with cuts on your hands.

 

 

Quite so. Well said that man.

 

More people die of infections contracted IN HOSPITAL each year than from such things as weils, lymes, and tetanus.

[heyjude999]

Thank you for the advice and humour, I think it might end up dirtier with the scummy water near us so I think a water free cleaning agent might have to be the job.

 

The disease in my ignorance it is something we had not considered before but will be now.

[Dekazer]

It is a very serious disease but most people who contract it get a non-fatal strain and survive. It is rare to die from Leptospirosis, although it does happen as my family sadly discovered last year. The chances are small though. It wouldn't stop me doing what I need to on and around the boat - I just try to be sensible about washing hands etc..

 

But why bother cleaning a boat anyway?!

[Teakbank12]

You tart..I'm sitting here drinking a bottle of bud..put me right off...!!

 

Well that's pure rats piss

Honestly though when i was an apprentice many years ago, then a field engineer we were taught from the start that being careful in manholes etc was important due to this disease & it was easy to catch.

 

When on the boat i always have a bottle of alcohol rubbing gel near to hand, i also carry a bottle in the car too as i have a low immune system.

The time i fell in the canal i was more worried about catching something than anything else

[BlueStringPudding]

What's this 'wash boat' business you speak of?

 

[AlanH]

I think youir post is misleading. Preventing you from using tap water to wash a boat is one thing but it does not mean that using canal water is compulsory. Pure BW bashing.

[Guest wanted]

 

 

The'll have me out with the brasso next!

[Mac of Cygnet]

.........my local rule that everyone washes hands after every lock and especially after handling ropes..........

 

I regard myself as a paranoid hypochondriac with OCD, but that sounds a bit over the top (crosses fingers, touches wood, and all the other things I do in these circumstances).

[heyjude999]

Hi and sorry.

 

BW have written to me by e mail saying if I want to wash my boat I have to use canal water and should not use tap water as it is metered at the site.

I was shocked as to date they have allowed us to use the water taps on our moorings.

I would simply like to know if other people on other BW sites have had similar edicts.

 

I think youir post is misleading. Preventing you from using tap water to wash a boat is one thing but it does not mean that using canal water is compulsory. Pure BW bashing.

[MoominPapa]

I would simply like to know if other people on other BW sites have had similar edicts.

Not a BW site, but our marina has the same rule, and I think it's quite reasonable.

 

MP.

[churchward]

Not a BW site, but our marina has the same rule, and I think it's quite reasonable.

 

MP.

I agree. I think it is very wasteful to use drinking water to wash the boat akin to throwing good food away. You may as well buy a load of bottles of Perrier and do it with that.

 

We do swab down the decks from time to time but always with buckets of canal water.