I read an article in the NY Times today (Oct. 10) about an illness called Leptospirosis that can be contracted through contact with water exposed to animal urine. There seems to be a rise in the incidences of this illness. River rafters in Costa Rica had come down with it. Does anyone have more information about it? I also read that the actress Jane Seymour had contracted it in Puerto Rico while filming there. It is quite serious and can be fatal in some cases.

Hello again...try www.cdc.gov <BR>They will have info on it.

Thank you, Cheri.

Interesting. My wife and I raise horses, and we innoculate them from EPM which is caused when horses eat Opossum urine in the hay. Horses have been almost paralyzed when their struck by this virus, because the larva burrow into the spinal cord of the horse, and paralyze them. One friend spent over $5,000 on her horse at Ohio State University Vet School when her horse ate contaminated hay. Although you're probably talking about a different virus, that's spread the same way, thoroughly check out precautionary measures, because such viruses have outbreaks, where it spreads quickly, only to become subdued again. Robert

Creepy article about it in Readers Digest this month: Titled something about the Thanksgiving that changed my life...womans hubby gets it & ALMOST dies.