leptospirosis vaccine

mikem

Well-known member
nearlywhite said:
When I was at medical school I did want to do a testing programme on freshers as we observed that most people seemed to get a bit ill after their first few couple of trips and then would get better. They then seemed to get ill each time they were caving in different regions and we thought it might be due to regional serovars of lepto. Then again it might just be 'exer-stress'
Possibly bovine leptospirosis, which is pretty benign by comparison, but could be a number of other things as well, including over imbibing...
 

nearlywhite

Active member
cseal said:
Anyone know where the BCA Weil's Disease advise is located?

I think that was my bad  :spank:

You can find it here https://british-caving.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/20210128-Weils.pdf

I've added it to the safety page (it was previously under the publications but somehow wasn't moved to safety when we changed over the website) which should now show up in searches here: https://british-caving.org.uk/our-work/safety/

I'll have a chat with IT about redirecting the links.

Incidentally would you like to volunteer as a proof reader for the website?  ;)
 

mrodoc

Well-known member
nearlywhite said:
Speleofish said:
There are numerous species (increasing all the time) and over 300 serovars

When I was at medical school I did want to do a testing programme on freshers as we observed that most people seemed to get a bit ill after their first few couple of trips and then would get better. They then seemed to get ill each time they were caving in different regions and we thought it might be due to regional serovars of lepto. Then again it might just be 'exer-stress'

The logistics, ethics and the implication of a health risk associated with caving put paid to that. Some years later I got pleurisy in death's head and ended up getting a very panicked phone call from my GP when they grew a previously unrecorded haemophilus species (I was fine and suffered no long term effects). So who knows what else is in the water.

I'd happily run a trial of the vaccine in cavers if it meant we could go caving again. I'd even swim in the most fetid holes in mendip open mouthed and all.

That reminds of the story of cave flu in South Africa that turned out to be histoplasmosis.  Up until now my sports haven't caused me any infections except once when I developed multiple tiny abcesses in abrasions on my hands after being in the sea diving for a couple of hours in Cornwall. If I remember rightly they grew coliforms. I suspect the nearby sewage outfall at Portreath combined with the length of time in  the water caused that as I have dived in sewage contaminated seawater since without problems.
 

mrodoc

Well-known member
By the way I have a stack of those credit card since info cards on Weil's that were issued by BCA is anybody has a use for them
 
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