Compost - Health Warning

I wouldn't worry. The chances of picking up nasties from fast running water are slim. I spent most of my boyhood, teens and early twenties wandering the hills and regularly drinking from streams and I'm still here. The village where I grew up drew its water from a hill stream and there was often a dead sheep in it and in those days the only filtration was through a gravel bed.

 

Hi! VP,

I work with a large group of men (though some of the younger ones act like a bunch of old wimmin!)

Their wives and children only drink soya milk, eat organic veggies, buy fair trade products, use soap etc which does not have any nasties in them and are never able to get doctors appointments when they are ailing, which seems ever other day!

One of the older gents said that they should take their kids into the garden and let them get covered in soil and mud with all the beneficial bacteria and side effects, then they would not be so sickly.

They did not agree with him, would you expect them to?

:D

 

Remands me that I need to register with a doctor up here and get a tetanus! I'm particularly susceptible to skin infections and the sort as a child (I say child loosely as I'm only 19 xD) I had numerous warts and then last year I got a very nasty infection on my hand which burnt for weeks and most recently I've come down with nasty skin peeling on hands which I pretty sure is pustular psoriasis (I know not an infection but still must be something about me that makes me more susceptible to these things)

 

We were told by slalom course staff that anyone who has swallowed river water should drink flat coke as this would orevent weils disease. However they would never seem to know how or why this is supposed to work. I know it is high in phosphoric acid but anyone know ?
Cheers
D

 

I've just watched one of "Titchy's" progs. and he was planting "step-over" apple trees in a mixture of soil and compost. He wasn't wearing gloves.:wink: I guess it doesn't worry the pros.:wink:

 

Alan is not shielded by holy powers, surely?!

 

He's got RHS protection which is bordering on holy.

His name's anagram is - Halt. I m an RHS act :D

 

Saw in the paper last week about Andy Holmes the olympic rower and gold medal winner had died of Weils disease!

Sad!

 

I was unfortunate enough to contract Weils disease when I emptied Sues rusty old compost bin to put it into the new one - a family of rats had found it a good place to nest. I dismissed it as a bad cold/flu, but when the trots kicked in Sue called the doctor out, and a few hours later I was in hospital where blood tests confirmed her diagnosis.

 

Sorry to hear that, Longk. Is this recent? Hope they are looking after you.

I'm slightly worried about rats in compost bins - I guess giving it a good bang with a shovel might clear them out before starting to empty the bin - but handling the compost with gloves sounds like a must. How long does the organism that causes Weill's stay active in the compost? I'm assuming it would probably be OK after exposure to time/sun/weather?

 

Two years ago.

I always use latex gloves now as my hands constantly have small cuts etc on them.
As far as how long it remains active, I have no idea. Better safe than sorry though - it's not pleasant, and non diagnosis can lead to serious complications.

 

I didn't realise you could get Weil's from compost or soil. I never wear gloves because I like to get my hands mucky, but will be rethinking that now.

 

You can't - it is from the rats pee............

You are more likely to contract it by drinking from a can (which I never did anyway).