Weil's disease Information (Leptospirosis)

Weil's disease (Leptospirosis)

I thought this should be posted here as when I was an engineer out in the filed this was something that cropped up every now and then and while I was going through my draws at work today found my weil’s disease card that we are supposed to carry with us.

Weil's disease is an infection carried in rats’ urine which contaminates water and banks of lakes, ponds and rivers. The disease which is notifiable is serious and requires hospital treatment. Symptoms start 3 to 19 days after exposure to contaminated water. Early symptoms are similar to 'Flu'. So go see a doctor and say you have been near contaminated water that may have Weil’s disease and ask the doctor for a blood test to be carried out


Unlike tap water, the water in canals, rivers and reservoirs is untreated and micro-organisms are naturally present. However, although the risk of contracting illness (including the much publicised but rare condition Weil's Disease) is extremely small, sensible precautions should be taken as follows:

* Avoid full immersion in the water

* Cover all cuts and abrasions with waterproof dressings before contact with the water

* Wash all exposed skin after contact with the water and before eating.

* Do not put wet ropes, fishing lines or other objects in your mouth.
1. Should any illness occur within 2 weeks of contact, you should seek medical advice and inform your doctor you have been in contact with untreated water.

It is something a lot of us have no knowledge off and also something that some of us knows about but forget about

Well thanks for shitting us all up Stotty! Now every time someone goes fishing a catches a cold they will be at the Dr's asking for a blood test!

Badger wrote:Well thanks for shitting us all up Stotty! Now every time someone goes fishing a catches a cold they will be at the Dr's asking for a blood test!

Like to do my bit

As an ex pest control technician I am well aware of the dangers of Weils, I lost a friend to it in my first year of pest control and it did shake me up a lot

I had an old game keeper friend who died from the smallest cut on his hand.
F***ing rats! kill them all!

You guys are make poor old Badger feel bad now for the flippant remark!

Its always in my mind when fishing, if I've a scratch or a cut, I'll keep it plastered up well.
I always keep plasters in my tackle bag, just in case. even a scratch off a pikes gill raker,will causes massive bleeding, as I found out last week.
Its one of those little known diseases,which I guess youngsters will have no idea about.

Badger wrote:You guys are make poor old Badger feel bad now for the flippant remark!

Good Stotty back ::

As a plumber i had to go on a course to learn all about it, the site that wigan built there new football stadium on had to have a membrane laid on it due to suspected weils disease. I just loved working on that site.

Say no more! Wigan is a sh!t hole full of RATS! (this is my own opinion and not that of UKFF)

It's not just rats that carry it, most british mammals do, I think the last person to die from it cought it from a roe dear.

Still it's not so bad, I had aids once, now that does take some shifting!

still slippy wrote:It's not just rats that carry it, most british mammals do, I think the last person to die from it cought it from a roe dear.

Still it's not so bad, I had aids once, now that does take some shifting!

Diawa do a pump action canister which is an antibacterial agent to kill Weil's disease - we bought some at Christmas from our local tackle shop. It's specifically for Weil's disease & costs about £3.00 but, well worth the investment!

Someone from the village where I used to live was a super fit man who rode is bike everywhere and after washing his bike in the stream next to his house, caught Weil's disease - rumour was he died - but, thankfully this was untrue - 6 months later and he's back on his bike!

Think we should all carry it really as you never know!

Worth thinking about, being a pike angler I am always getting bitten so I usually have wet, bleeding hands and totally forget about the risk

Woodchucker wrote:Worth thinking about, being a pike carp angler I am always getting bitten so I usually have wet, bleeding hands and totally forget about the risk