Why don't we catch Weil's disease?

[Caroline]

I have been wondering recently why it is that I have never caught Weil's disease. I have spent about 35 years dabbling around in stables, barns and horsey environments where there must have been rats - yet seem to have escaped Weil's disease, which I thought was quite easily caught.

Has anyone else had it? Why do you think there is so little of it around horsey and farm people? Do we develop some sort of immunity?

[anastasia55555]

Im amazed i have never caught anything horrid!
Amanda Seaters husband was very poorly not so long ago, contracted something from horsey/barn etc environment, but i cant remember exactly what it was. On all accounts i remember he was very ill from what she told us:(

[pip]

I know someone who caught it and was desperately ill for weeks and lost a great deal of weight.
The difficulty was in diagnoses. The wife kept suggesting it could be Weils Disease, but it took a long time before the doctors gave a test. Once there was a diagnosis the treatment worked quite quickly and he made a good recovery.

[Mellymoo]

I think we are all very lucky! I grub about in muck all day, and always forget to put plasters on. I don't even have an up to date tetanus...

[anastasia55555]

same! Not to mention the 'rub ur hands on ur jods and eat ur lunch' when we used to help at riding stables at weekends and holidays

[Catrin]

The infection is usually spread from contaminated water, so if you swim in ponds you might pick it up. When I was little, I never swam in ponds, just rivers or the sea. Next it's spread from rats or their urine. Whilst there were/are rats around where I was/am, they are not in such a density that I can smell their urine. My dogs have always been vaccinated against leptospirosis, so on balance I assume my contact with the bacteria is minimal. By now, I assume I might have developed some immunity, but I doubt it as the symptoms are flu-like and I haven't had flu for about thirty years - the immunity only lasts for about ten.

[limepickle]

Not everyone recovers

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1323594/Rat-disease-kills-Andy-Holmes-Rower-dead-days-water-borne-illness.html

[anastasia55555]

yes i do remember that in the news, very sad

[kafee]

I've pondered on this too. The first pony I bought for my children had to be put down after a 6 month battle with agressive Moon Blindness, which I gather is caused by the Leptospira bacteria. I kept her in a field next to one where cattle have contracted Leptospira, (didn't know until afterwards), so I know I've been in contact with it. Like a lot of us horsey people, I practice basic hygiene when in the field: wipe the worst off and that'll do. I'm rarely ill, (hastily touches wood), and put this down to a healthy and continually challenged immune system!

Raffles spent his first winter with me, with her in that field, and I do wonder if the arthritic changes in his hocks that he was diagnosed with at the age of 7, was caused by the bacteria. The scientific paper I read about it at the time, said that once inside the body, the bacteria settles in an organ/area, the eye in the case of Moon Blindness, and causes disease.

[Zoe RA]

I know somebody who was very ill with it for months. She nearly died

[julz]

I always thought that you had to get it from water where rats had frequented.... like sewers or canals.... not that many people tend to go swimming in sewers or canals..

[kafee]

I seem to remember a wind surfer getting it after sailing on, and no doubt falling in, a lake, and yes, it is a very serious disease.

[anastasia55555]

i shall continue with my phobia of swimming of any kind, even if its a local swimming pool. The thought of swimming in a lake or canal makes me feel sick, even a swimming pool freaks me out. The thought of all the other people who might have been rather low on personal hygiene who have been before me and VERUCAS! yuk! As soon as my bare feet touch the floor i cant stop thinking about them. lol! So i shall add to that water bourne diseases and il never swim or paddle again, phew!

[lizr]

My brother had this when he was a teenager - he was heavily into canoeing. He hadn't been feeling well for a few days when he passed out at home. My mum took him to the Drs who sent him straight to hospital. He was in for a week, in isolation and I think, was treated with a strong course of anti biotics. He recovered fully but v scary. It is transmitted through water and you usually pick it up through small cuts/scratches in your skin.

[emsxx]

I seem to remember reading that it is only active if the urine is wet i.e. if a rat has pee'd on straw but it has dried by the time you pick it up, shake it out, breathe in the dust then you can't get it