On Thu, 20 Sep 2007 23:48:25 -0000, Tim wrote:

On Sep 20, 12:42 pm, "Reginald P. Smithers III"
wrote:
John H. wrote:
On Thu, 20 Sep 2007 00:17:10 -0000, Tim wrote:

http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/09/18...kes/index.html

It's not good, obviosly. I hope it can be wiped out before it wipes
anyone else out....

Now *that's* scary!

There is a parasite that enters through your penis while you are
swimming, and then latches onto whatever it wants, and starts to grow.
I don't know why, but that makes me shiver more than any of the other
parasites.

This could keep more people out of the water than the movie "Jaws".

Speaking of "Jaws"...

I got this from a friend of mine that works for a FL. health dept.

"Environmental bacteria, organisms and toxins can vary wildly within a
few miles. Some exceptions are due to climate situations (i.e. -
droughts), some due to to population densities or lack thereof (i.e. -
farming/dairy facilities), some due to water chemistries (i.e. - salt
vs fresh water). All these variables can facilitate or hinder certain
illness producing organisms, and new cases still can occur.

If you're traveling to a new area, it would pay to check with the
local Health Dept to see if there are any warnings. By law, warnings
are required to be posted in conspicous areas. For the most part,
these types of outbreaks are few and far between, and (as Tony states)
affect those whose health is compromised to some extent - aged,
infants, immuno-suppressed...

Unfortunately, recovering/identifying these organisms is difficult
(needle in a haystack difficult). Positive identification comes from
bodily fluids/samples of those already affected. So we look for
indicators of organisms that may foreshadow the presence of other
organisms.

There are limits to these organisms to be present in recreational
waters. Generally speaking, that's not my job. But, I am called upon
to give a second opinion for a given situation. Usually, the affected
area has been shut down based on preliminary examination. But I can
tell you, despite the admonitions of local gov't officials to the
contrary (think: the Mayor in "JAWS"), I have no qualms in shutting
down a beach, waterway or community pool if I see elevated numbers. My
peers would say the same. We do as good a job as technology allows.

Be aware and be careful....."


Probably due to global warming.