Nell wrote in message t.cable.rogers.com...


So... not as rare as I would have liked. And was probably infected after
being scratched by the thorns without even knowing it.


Ouch, that sucks! But it is still pretty rare, I've been into
gardening for 30 years and you're only the second person I've ever
heard from who actually got infected. (I had chicken pox twice, so I
can relate to some extent to suffering from unusual occurences, though
at least that didn't take months to get over.) And insofar as this
thread is concerned, you didn't get a sinus or ear infection!

The thorn business is apparently common to many sporotrichinal
infections, I hear it's most common among rose growers who obviously
have the thorn thing to deal with on a regular basis. Another thing
to keep in mind, in general, is that the spores are not present only
in sphaghnum, but in garden soil, etc., etc. (It may vary
geographically, just like salmonella is more common on the East Coast
of the US, and botulism in the West.) It is wise to take some
precautions, at least washing your hands *thoroughly* after handling
any potting material, but IMHO not worth making yourself crazy over.


MG