Runner Triathlete News [ return ] From Message Brian Hasenbauer   11/03/2002 17:40:58 Subject: Sickness from Open Water Swims IP: Logged Message: Did anyone get sick after River Cities Triathlon this year??? I have heard from a few people that they are suffering from symptoms such as fever, rash, aching joints and fatigue like the symptoms listed below. I am also interested to find out how (or if) Race Directors check the water for bacteria? In Texas this could be a serious health issue. Here is the info. What is leptospirosis? Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease that affects humans and animals. It is caused by bacteria of the genus Leptospira. In humans it causes a wide range of symptoms, and some infected persons may have no symptoms at all. Symptoms of leptospirosis include high fever, severe headache, chills, muscle aches, and vomiting, and may include jaundice (yellow skin and eyes), red eyes, abdominal pain, diarrhea, or a rash. If the disease is not treated, the patient could develop kidney damage, meningitis (inflammation of the membrane around the brain and spinal cord), liver failure, and respiratory distress. In rare cases death occurs. Many of these symptoms can be mistaken for other diseases. Leptospirosis is confirmed by laboratory testing of a blood or urine sample. How do people get leptospirosis? Outbreaks of leptospirosis are usually caused by exposure to water contaminated with the urine of infected animals. Many different kinds of animals carry the bacterium; they may become sick but sometimes have no symptoms. Leptospira organisms have been found in cattle, pigs, horses, dogs, rodents, and wild animals. Humans become infected through contact with water, food, or soil containing urine from these infected animals. This may happen by swallowing contaminated food or water or through skin contact, especially with mucosal surfaces, such as the eyes or nose, or with broken skin. The disease is not known to be spread from person to person. How long is it between the time of exposure and when people become sick? The time between a person's exposure to a contaminated source and becoming sick is 2 days to 4 weeks. Illness usually begins abruptly with fever and other symptoms. Leptospirosis may occur in two phases; after the first phase, with fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, vomiting, or diarrhea, the patient may recover for a time but become ill again. If a second phase occurs, it is more severe; the person may have kidney or liver failure or meningitis. This phase is also called Weil's disease. The illness lasts from a few days to 3 weeks or longer. Without treatment, recovery may take several months. Darrell   11/03/2002 20:12:18 RE: Sickness from Open Water Swims IP: Logged Message: Damn, that sucks. Makes you almost afraid to go swimming in a lake. Hope it all works out, know anybody who had thoughts on Stampede Triathlon....that water was pretty nasty and a prime canidate for the spread of nasty bacterium. BTW is that a gram stain negative or positive bacteria? Darrell P 1

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