Fresh water swimming ... Contracted diseases

mpfmarkmpfmark Teesside England Charter Member
edited September 2014 in General Discussion
It wasn't nice in the slightest. Know the symptoms and be prepared to advise hospital staff

See www.markswims.com
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Comments

  • loneswimmerloneswimmer IrelandCharter Member
    Mark's story. I've been following Mark's blog for years.

    loneswimmer.com

  • IronMikeIronMike Northern VirginiaCharter Member
    Read about Lepto when we were en route Ethiopia (assignment location changed to Kyrgyzstan). The locals in Ethiopia who live/work near or on the lakes take an annual vaccine. I wonder if that is something we fresh water OW swimmers should think about getting?

    We're all just carbon, water, starlight, oxygen and dreams

  • MvGMvG MauritiusCharter Member
    edited September 2014
    In the Central African Republic ten years ago I contracted a full blown schistosomiasis (bilharzia) infestation in my lungs, 17 parasite eggs nestled all over, it looked like metastasized cancer on an X-ray, but then the blood results came back and it turned out to be 'only' bilharzia, ouff!
    Bad news: you can contract bilharzia in many places in Africa, not only lakes, but also rivers (I contracted it in a river). More bad news: it can be really dangerous if it is left undetected and hence untreated. The good news though: the parasite seems fairly easy to treat, just one set of pills taken once (can make you ill a bit).
    My advice would be to do your swims in risky waters if you really have to, but take the pills a little afterwards and have your blood checked a few more weeks later, just to be sure.

    Milko

    https://db.marathonswimmers.org/p/milko-van-gool/

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