Leptosporosis in rivers & streams
 

Good article in today's Honolulu Star-Bulletin about the dangers lurking in our fresh waters. Read the sidebar for specifics...and cautions:
http://starbulletin.com/2008/08/17/news/kokualine.html

If you contract a lepto infection, symptoms typically appear within 3-5 days (it was a week for me...got it from paddling Hanalei River with a hangnail).

Unfortunately for visitors, symptoms don't usually appear until after they return home...leaving them wondering "What the heck do I have??". Topical infections will display as inflammed tissue; systemic infections are flu-like...and if un-treated, can require hospitalization.

auntiemarisa
I have never heard of this and as we will be in Oahu and the Big Island in Feb it concerns me. What about private pools and hot tubs? I don't know where this water comes from and it is not salt water.

Leptosporosis is not confined to Hawaii. Hikers throughout the US are cautioned to not drink from streams without first treating the water. Always found it amusing to see people in Yellowstone NP washing up in a river/stream with bison/elk/moose just upstream.

ST

cd, I don't you think you have to worry about pools and hot tubs. Lepto can be found in fresh water rivers and/or ponds, not private pools and hot tubs.

Thanks jamq

I believe the source of lepto is animal feces, isn't that right? Kind of hard to avoid those, out in the wild! (I assume higher concentrations=disease in humans.)

They actually vaccinate dogs around here for it.

It is also known as Weil's Disease and people commonly get it when bathing or walking in water contaminated with animal urine so unlee your pet elk is peeing in the hot tub or pool...

Yet another reason to avoid that #ellhole of an island. [-X

<i>Like OMG:o...</i> Only 1 case in the Valley and 38 in the Garden, Maui No Ka Oi! :S-

I know that dogs can carry Leptospirosis, but in that hellhole Kauai, it might be all those dam# chickens.

For once you can't <i>blame it on the dog</i>!

((&amp;))bring on that (lepto)H20((R)), fire in the hole:
http://starbulletin.com/2008/08/19/news/story07.html