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Weil's disease

Anthony Pearson

Anthony Pearson

Senior Member
No doubt this will have been covered before on the site but hopefully this will serve as a timely reminder. As the rivers in the North in particular are almost at drought levels, the rat runs haven't been flushed-out. As the disease comes from rats urine (amongst others), if we don't get significant rainfall in the next few weeks and it arrives as the season opens, the risk will be significantly higher than normal. Wash your hands (use a gel) before eating and don't be biting shot onto your wet lines!
 
I had this when I was a very fit 29 year old and it nearly killed me.

The initial symptoms are like a summer cold or flue which you can't shake off but as time goes on you loose energy levels and in my case it took about 6 weeks before I developed the early stages of jaundice due to liver failure and was admitted to hospital.

Blood and urine tests confirmed the diagnosis and intravenous antibiotics over a week got me back on my feet but it was over a year before I got back close to my former fitness and was the start of long term health problems which still plague me 25 years later.

It's no fun but on the bright side it is fairly rare, prolonged exposure seems to be a key to contracting it, I used to do allot of water sports and got it through prolonged exposure to river water either during a 100 mile race on the river Wye or a gruelling ten mile race on the Teme the following week during drought conditions where I suffered several cuts and abrasions.

These days I carry one of those hand sanitisers and use it whenever I get my hands wet or before I eat anything.
 
I recently caught it. ( Well the first stage of it ) From a local commercial pool.
I forgot to use my hand gel and wipes!! One sandwich eaten and later that night, the flu like symptoms constantly feeling sick, especially when lying down!! Hot/cold and aching.
Looked on the internet for the symptoms had every bloody one of them!! Needless to say a trip to the doctors 12 days off work and a course of anti biotics.
Touch wood. Other than feeling a little washed out still I'm feeling much better.
 
i hope i never get it, sounds orrible, i just think of all the times as a kid i used to wade in the canal, fishing, biting shot and so on and then eat my sarnies.:eek:
annyway, biting shot ruins yer front teeth like mine, chipped from when i was kid.
 
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In a previous life as a white-water canoeist (dare I say it) I had the symptoms, got the tablets and then the blood tests came back negative. So I was lucky, but wouldn't want to go through it again.
 
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