| Page 1 of 2 | 1 | 2 |
|
|
Wash your hands after handling that muck. Legionella longbeachae
I suspect this go on in England a lot more but given the useless GPs
we seem to have in abundance these days it probably remnains undiagnosed. So if you're going to catch anything do it in Oz or Scotland. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-18206191 Gardeners told 'wash off compost'By Eleanor Bradford BBC Scotland Health Correspondent Gardening is a healthy hobby but there are risks, says Dr Donaghy Gardeners are being warned to wash their hands after using compost following a series of Legionella cases in Scotland over the past five years. One man has died and five others have become ill after contracting a rare strain called 'Legionella longbeachae', which appears to come from compost. The unusual strain is well known in Australia and New Zealand, where bags of compost carry warning labels. But these are the first cases linked to compost to be confirmed in the UK. As many gardeners head out to their gardens and allotments to enjoy the warm weather, experts are warning them to wash their hands after using compost, particularly before eating or smoking. Take steps "Gardening is a very healthy hobby but like anything in life there's a few risks," said Dr Martin Donaghy, medical director of Health Protection Scotland. "Over the past five years we've had three confirmed cases of Legionella longbeachae, plus two 'probable' and one 'possible' so we do need to take steps to reduce the risk even further." Doctors all over the UK are being urged to be alert for a link with gardening if they see patients with unusual pneumonia. Symptoms of Legionella longbeachae include headaches, diarrhoea or a dry cough followed by pneumonia. Most people recover after treatment with antibiotics and Dr Donaghy said other cases may have gone unreported. "One of the features of this phenomenon is that we've only seen it in Scotland," he said. "We're working closely with colleagues in England to find out the reasons for that. The exceptional rarity of these cases would seem to indicate that any associated risks are exceedingly minimal” "Are our services better at picking it up, or is it something to do with the nature of compost up here? "We've got no evidence it's anything to do with the compost so we think it's more to do with being better at picking it up." Like all forms of Legionnaire's disease, longbeachae is transmitted via very small droplets of water in the air. All those who have contracted the illness so far were very keen gardeners, using different brands of compost. Specialists are now investigating whether recent changes to compost formulas might be to blame as manufacturers move away from traditional peat-based growing media. Global analysis Health Protection Scotland is in discussions with the Scottish government on whether Australian-style warning labels should be recommended to manufacturers. A spokesman for the Growing Media Association said: "Since 1990, of the 12 reported cases of Legionella potentially connected to the longbeachae microbe in Great Britain, only three are thought to be related to gardening. "In the same period, the UK public has used well over a billion bags of compost. "The exceptional rarity of these cases would seem to indicate that any associated risks are exceedingly minimal." The spokesman added: "Nevertheless, the growing media industry is committed to acting in a responsible manner on this important issue and is therefore conducting a detailed global analysis of the situation. "For the moment, appropriate precautionary/hygiene measures are unclear, an observation supported by Health Protection Scotland." A spokesperson for the Association of Organics Recycling added that compost is routinely heated to at least 60C for 48 hours as part of the manufacturing process, which is considerably hotter than the preferred temperature for Legionella bacteria. |
Wash your hands after handling that muck. Legionella longbeachae
"Pendrag0n" wrote in message ... I suspect this go on in England a lot more but given the useless GPs we seem to have in abundance these days it probably remnains undiagnosed. So if you're going to catch anything do it in Oz or Scotland. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-18206191 Gardeners told 'wash off compost'By Eleanor Bradford BBC Scotland Health Correspondent Gardening is a healthy hobby but there are risks, says Dr Donaghy Gardeners are being warned to wash their hands after using compost following a series of Legionella cases in Scotland over the past five years. One man has died and five others have become ill after contracting a rare strain called 'Legionella longbeachae', which appears to come from compost. The unusual strain is well known in Australia and New Zealand, where bags of compost carry warning labels. But these are the first cases linked to compost to be confirmed in the UK. As many gardeners head out to their gardens and allotments to enjoy the warm weather, experts are warning them to wash their hands after using compost, particularly before eating or smoking. So, health advice in Scotland. Smoke, but wash your hands first. Brilliant. Steve |
Wash your hands after handling that muck. Legionella longbeachae
"shazzbat" wrote in
: "Pendrag0n" wrote in message ... I suspect this go on in England a lot more but given the useless GPs we seem to have in abundance these days it probably remnains undiagnosed. So if you're going to catch anything do it in Oz or Scotland. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-18206191 Gardeners told 'wash off compost'By Eleanor Bradford BBC Scotland Health Correspondent Gardening is a healthy hobby but there are risks, says Dr Donaghy Gardeners are being warned to wash their hands after using compost following a series of Legionella cases in Scotland over the past five years. One man has died and five others have become ill after contracting a rare strain called 'Legionella longbeachae', which appears to come from compost. The unusual strain is well known in Australia and New Zealand, where bags of compost carry warning labels. But these are the first cases linked to compost to be confirmed in the UK. As many gardeners head out to their gardens and allotments to enjoy the warm weather, experts are warning them to wash their hands after using compost, particularly before eating or smoking. So, health advice in Scotland. Smoke, but wash your hands first. Brilliant. Steve I think you have got it! Well done you. Top of the class, though I would have never guessed you gave advice openly, like this. How unselfish of you to share your concerns now. |
Wash your hands after handling that muck. Legionella longbeachae
On 29/05/2012 11:19, Pendrag0n wrote:
I suspect this go on in England a lot more but given the useless GPs we seem to have in abundance these days it probably remnains undiagnosed. So if you're going to catch anything do it in Oz or Scotland. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-18206191 Gardeners told 'wash off compost'By Eleanor Bradford BBC Scotland Health Correspondent Gardening is a healthy hobby but there are risks, says Dr Donaghy Gardeners are being warned to wash their hands after using compost following a series of Legionella cases in Scotland over the past five years. And how exactly is that supposed to prevent the spread of a lung disease that is carried by airborne aerosols? "We've got no evidence it's anything to do with the compost so we think it's more to do with being better at picking it up." Like all forms of Legionnaire's disease, longbeachae is transmitted via very small droplets of water in the air. All those who have contracted the illness so far were very keen gardeners, using different brands of compost. If the threat was from salmonella or anthrax then their advice would make sense. Odd that the new growing media have this problem... -- Regards, Martin Brown |
Wash your hands after handling that muck. Legionella longbeachae
|
Wash your hands after handling that muck. Legionella longbeachae
"Pendrag0n" wrote (BIG SNIP))
I suspect this go on in England a lot more but given the useless GPs we seem to have in abundance these days it probably remnains undiagnosed. So if you're going to catch anything do it in Oz or Scotland. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-18206191 Gardeners told 'wash off compost'By Eleanor Bradford BBC Scotland Health Correspondent Gardening is a healthy hobby but there are risks, says Dr Donaghy Gardeners are being warned to wash their hands after using compost following a series of Legionella cases in Scotland over the past five years. One man has died and five others have become ill after contracting a rare strain called 'Legionella longbeachae', which appears to come from compost. The unusual strain is well known in Australia and New Zealand, where bags of compost carry warning labels. But these are the first cases linked to compost to be confirmed in the UK. Funny but I was just talking to an older nurseryman (Dunkirk Nursery, Ripley Road, Egham, excellent for bedding and veg plants) and we were discussing the modern composts. He uses Levingtons Professional with some added ingredients of his own, it's basically a peat based compost and he gets castigated by some customers for using it. However we both agreed the new composted rubbish composts are just that with bits of plastic and sticks common. They should really be sterilised before sale for the health of the plants let alone the gardener, he's even heard a rumour of trials to make composts out of chopped straw mixed with sewage sludge, would anyone want to handle that? -- Regards. Bob Hobden. Posted to this Newsgroup from the W of London, UK |
Wash your hands after handling that muck. Legionella longbeachae
On 5/29/2012 11:04 AM, Bob Hobden wrote:
Funny but I was just talking to an older nurseryman (Dunkirk Nursery, Ripley Road, Egham, excellent for bedding and veg plants) and we were discussing the modern composts. He uses Levingtons Professional with some added ingredients of his own, it's basically a peat based compost and he gets castigated by some customers for using it. However we both agreed the new composted rubbish composts are just that with bits of plastic and sticks common. They should really be sterilised before sale for the health of the plants let alone the gardener, he's even heard a rumour of trials to make composts out of chopped straw mixed with sewage sludge, would anyone want to handle that? Milwaukee has been treating its sewage and selling it as fertiliser for years. http://www.milorganite.com/en/Using-Milorganite/What-is-It.aspx |
Wash your hands after handling that muck. Legionella longbeachae
"S Viemeister" wrote .
Bob Hobden wrote: Funny but I was just talking to an older nurseryman (Dunkirk Nursery, Ripley Road, Egham, excellent for bedding and veg plants) and we were discussing the modern composts. He uses Levingtons Professional with some added ingredients of his own, it's basically a peat based compost and he gets castigated by some customers for using it. However we both agreed the new composted rubbish composts are just that with bits of plastic and sticks common. They should really be sterilised before sale for the health of the plants let alone the gardener, he's even heard a rumour of trials to make composts out of chopped straw mixed with sewage sludge, would anyone want to handle that? Milwaukee has been treating its sewage and selling it as fertiliser for years. http://www.milorganite.com/en/Using-Milorganite/What-is-It.aspx This bit interested me..."at temperatures ranging from 900⁰ - 1200⁰F"... so it is sterilised before sale, something I believe these modern composts also need. Last year I opened a bag only to find lumps of white mushroom type growth and had to sieve it all out before use together with the twigs and bits of rag etc, makes one wonder what else is in it. -- Regards. Bob Hobden. Posted to this Newsgroup from the W of London, UK |
Wash your hands after handling that muck. Legionella longbeachae
"Bob Hobden" wrote in message ... "Pendrag0n" wrote (BIG SNIP)) I suspect this go on in England a lot more but given the useless GPs we seem to have in abundance these days it probably remnains undiagnosed. So if you're going to catch anything do it in Oz or Scotland. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-18206191 Gardeners told 'wash off compost'By Eleanor Bradford BBC Scotland Health Correspondent Gardening is a healthy hobby but there are risks, says Dr Donaghy Gardeners are being warned to wash their hands after using compost following a series of Legionella cases in Scotland over the past five years. One man has died and five others have become ill after contracting a rare strain called 'Legionella longbeachae', which appears to come from compost. The unusual strain is well known in Australia and New Zealand, where bags of compost carry warning labels. But these are the first cases linked to compost to be confirmed in the UK. Funny but I was just talking to an older nurseryman (Dunkirk Nursery, Ripley Road, Egham, excellent for bedding and veg plants) and we were discussing the modern composts. He uses Levingtons Professional with some added ingredients of his own, it's basically a peat based compost and he gets castigated by some customers for using it. However we both agreed the new composted rubbish composts are just that with bits of plastic and sticks common. They should really be sterilised before sale for the health of the plants let alone the gardener, he's even heard a rumour of trials to make composts out of chopped straw mixed with sewage sludge, would anyone want to handle that? -- Regards. Bob Hobden. Posted to this Newsgroup from the W of London, UK "" (Dunkirk Nursery, Ripley Road, Egham, excellent for bedding and veg plants) "" TUT TUT that's not advertising on urg is it??? ;-) Sole rights reserved on that you know Mike -- .................................... I'm an Angel, honest ! The horns are there just to keep the halo straight. .................................... |
Wash your hands after handling that muck. Legionella longbeachae
On Tuesday, 29 May 2012 19:14:13 UTC+1, Chris Hogg wrote:
On Tue, 29 May 2012 16:04:43 +0100, "Bob Hobden" wrote: he's even heard a rumour of trials to make composts out of chopped straw mixed with sewage sludge, would anyone want to handle that? You're too squeamish! When my BH lived in Gloucester, ~40 years ago, she and her then husband used to get sewage sludge from the local sewage works. There were great piles of the stuff, and the two of them just shoveled it into bags before loading them into the car. Lovely stuff, she said, very friable, but it always produced a crop of tomato plants from the seeds in it that survived the passage through people's guts! -- Chris Gardening in West Cornwall overlooking the sea. Mild, but very exposed to salt gales Also about 45 yrs ago the nursery I was working on at the time tried some sewage sludge on one of it's fields. We stopped when signs of heavy metal contamination were seen, not to mention the unmentionable objects strewn about the field embarassing the female staff. This was in a heavily industrialised urban area. OTOH a manhole overflowed into our garden about 18 months ago dumping the sewage from our house and the 5 neighbours into one of our borders. We got a nice crop of tomatoes from amongst the roses and other border plants. Everything else looked like it was on steroids and those plant still look good now. It didn't smell too good for a while. Rod |
Wash your hands after handling that muck. Legionella longbeachae
On 29/05/2012 19:14, Chris Hogg wrote:
On Tue, 29 May 2012 16:04:43 +0100, "Bob wrote: he's even heard a rumour of trials to make composts out of chopped straw mixed with sewage sludge, would anyone want to handle that? You're too squeamish! When my BH lived in Gloucester, ~40 years ago, she and her then husband used to get sewage sludge from the local sewage works. There were great piles of the stuff, and the two of them just shoveled it into bags before loading them into the car. Lovely stuff, she said, very friable, but it always produced a crop of tomato plants from the seeds in it that survived the passage through people's guts! In the old days they would go around Hong Kong collecting "Night soil" which was then taken to "The New Territories" where it was used as manure for the fruit and veg grown to supply Hong Kong. This went on into the 60's. When I was young we would dig out a trench and empty the cesspit into it by bucket and recover with soil, this would then be where we grew our runner beans and peas. David @ the parched end of Swansea Bay |
Wash your hands after handling that muck. Legionella longbeachae
On Tue, 29 May 2012 19:55:20 +0100, David Hill wrote:
In the old days they would go around Hong Kong collecting "Night soil" which was then taken to "The New Territories" where it was used as manure for the fruit and veg grown to supply Hong Kong. This went on into the 60's. When I travelled around rural China in late '92 several public loos I used emptied straight into a paddy field. -- Cheers Dave. |
Wash your hands after handling that muck. Legionella longbeachae
|
Wash your hands after handling that muck. Legionella longbeachae
In message , Bob Hobden
writes "Pendrag0n" wrote (BIG SNIP)) I suspect this go on in England a lot more but given the useless GPs we seem to have in abundance these days it probably remnains undiagnosed. So if you're going to catch anything do it in Oz or Scotland. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-18206191 Gardeners told 'wash off compost'By Eleanor Bradford BBC Scotland Health Correspondent Gardening is a healthy hobby but there are risks, says Dr Donaghy Gardeners are being warned to wash their hands after using compost following a series of Legionella cases in Scotland over the past five years. One man has died and five others have become ill after contracting a rare strain called 'Legionella longbeachae', which appears to come from compost. The unusual strain is well known in Australia and New Zealand, where bags of compost carry warning labels. But these are the first cases linked to compost to be confirmed in the UK. Funny but I was just talking to an older nurseryman (Dunkirk Nursery, Ripley Road, Egham, excellent for bedding and veg plants) and we were discussing the modern composts. He uses Levingtons Professional with some added ingredients of his own, it's basically a peat based compost and he gets castigated by some customers for using it. However we both agreed the new composted rubbish composts are just that with bits of plastic and sticks common. They should really be sterilised before sale for the health of the plants let alone the gardener, he's even heard a rumour of trials to make composts out of chopped straw mixed with sewage sludge, would anyone want to handle that? Yup, sounds a sensible use of resources to me (poo + straw - sounds rather like horse manure) -- Chris French |
Wash your hands after handling that muck. Legionella longbeachae
"shazzbat" wrote in message ... "Pendrag0n" wrote in message ... I suspect this go on in England a lot more but given the useless GPs we seem to have in abundance these days it probably remnains undiagnosed. So if you're going to catch anything do it in Oz or Scotland. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-18206191 Gardeners told 'wash off compost'By Eleanor Bradford BBC Scotland Health Correspondent Gardening is a healthy hobby but there are risks, says Dr Donaghy Gardeners are being warned to wash their hands after using compost following a series of Legionella cases in Scotland over the past five years. One man has died and five others have become ill after contracting a rare strain called 'Legionella longbeachae', which appears to come from compost. The unusual strain is well known in Australia and New Zealand, where bags of compost carry warning labels. But these are the first cases linked to compost to be confirmed in the UK. As many gardeners head out to their gardens and allotments to enjoy the warm weather, experts are warning them to wash their hands after using compost, particularly before eating or smoking. So, health advice in Scotland. Smoke, but wash your hands first. Brilliant. Steve That's unlikely to have been said. |
| All times are GMT +1. The time now is 12:02 AM. |
|
Powered by vBulletin® Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
GardenBanter