Histoplasmosis and other issues along the trail?

[lilgodwin]

Chatting with my Granny, she mentioned catching histoplasmosis in 2011 in Tennessee, though near Nashville.

So it begs the question, except for Giardia which I know about, what other issues are there to keep an eye out for our be knowledgeable about?

She said the histoplasmosis is from breathing the same air as some bat/bird droppings. Certainly an odd thing to hear. Can cause spots on the lungs that can be healed bit can also lead to some form of cancer? I never take anything as 100% truth, even from my Granny, lol. But it does have me curious.

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[ScareBear]

Chatting with my Granny, she mentioned catching histoplasmosis in 2011 in Tennessee, though near Nashville.

So it begs the question, except for Giardia which I know about, what other issues are there to keep an eye out for our be knowledgeable about?

She said the histoplasmosis is from breathing the same air as some bat/bird droppings. Certainly an odd thing to hear. Can cause spots on the lungs that can be healed bit can also lead to some form of cancer? I never take anything as 100% truth, even from my Granny, lol. But it does have me curious.

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Ever see the commercials for immunosuppressant drugs on TV that tell ya to warn your doctor if you live in or frequent areas where fungal infections are common? They are talking about histo. Many many people have histo because they live near farmland in the big river valleys(Ohio and Mississippi)and the spores are disturbed by farming. And, most are asymptomatic. Until a spot on their lung xray causes the radiologist to freak. It is almost always benign, but sometimes histo can be a real bummer. And sometimes, fatal.

http://www.merckmanuals.com/home/inf...histoplasmosis

You don't have a thing to worry about histo on the AT, unless you are snorting bird droppings....

[Venchka]

I'm old enough to have earned the right to make the following conclusions:
1. Giardia is a myth.
2. I am immune to Giardia.
3. If you fall for the Giardia Scare Tactics spread by the Nanny police and the CDC, you are doomed to stay indoors and die of boredom.
4. Reports of the nail booby traps in a park near Asheville, NC are the most dangerous thing you'll find in the woods. The danger declines the farther away you get from towns & cities.
5. Check out Joey's adventures way back in the woods. For Joey, trails are optional. Joey does use an Ursack. Common sense! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2u...9jeYdJr6Ha0aqg
6. Be safe. Have fun.
Wayne

[Traveler]

I'm old enough to have earned the right to make the following conclusions:
1. Giardia is a myth.
2. I am immune to Giardia.
3. If you fall for the Giardia Scare Tactics spread by the Nanny police and the CDC, you are doomed to stay indoors and die of boredom.
4. Reports of the nail booby traps in a park near Asheville, NC are the most dangerous thing you'll find in the woods. The danger declines the farther away you get from towns & cities.
5. Check out Joey's adventures way back in the woods. For Joey, trails are optional. Joey does use an Ursack. Common sense! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2u...9jeYdJr6Ha0aqg
6. Be safe. Have fun.
Wayne

1. nope
2. nope
3. nope

If facts are allowed, Giardia is not a myth. Giardia is not always present in water, but can be. There is no immunity to this parasite. You may have had this by were asymptomatic, may not ingested enough or the right cysts at the right time to contract it, or may just have been lucky and never had any contact with it.

Agreed on the balance of the post however. Common sense can be different for a lot of people, a good example being some filter all their water, some don't. Who's to say who has more common sense.

[CalebJ]

As somebody who has personal experience with giardia it's mind blowing to read a post like that. Giardia is awful, and completely avoidable if you follow basic water treatment practices.

[Venchka]

I have consumed quite a bit of fresh water straight from streams in the Rockies. No ill effects for me.
YMMV.
Wayne


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[CalebJ]

So you haven't gotten sick. Lots of people haven't. What's your point?

[TTT]

Sepsis, also referred to as blood poisoning or septicaemia, is a potentially life-threatening complication of an infection or injury. The internet has a number of ways in treating it. One that worked for me was applying very hot water to the source of my pain.

[MuddyWaters]

If facts are allowed, Giardia is not a myth. Giardia is not always present in water, but can be. There is no immunity to this parasite. You may have had this by were asymptomatic, may not ingested enough or the right cysts at the right time to contract it, or may just have been lucky and never had any contact with it.

I would argue that someone that is asymptomatic, suffering no ill effects from the parasite, is basically immune. Fully 20% of the world is infected and asymptomatic.
Not everyone will suffer horrible symptoms.
The same way not everyone is succeptible to west nile, or brown recluse bites.

[H I T C H]

I think that one of the biggest concerns is Lymes disease from ticks.

I have already seen an adolescent tick this year.

I was out on the trail around Gatland last Sunday.

There were quite a few dogs.

I hope that folks do through tick inspections.

Hitch

[Traveler]

I have consumed quite a bit of fresh water straight from streams in the Rockies. No ill effects for me.
YMMV.
Wayne


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Thats great and I wish you luck with that strategy. Being lucky or asymptomatic if you were to contract it does not mean it doesn't exist.

For those of us who have had to deal with this nasty parasite, hearing it termed a "myth" is akin to coal mining companies saying coal dust residue and mine tailings into creeks and streams is not harmful. Unfortunately there are a lot of people who will believe it.

[Traveler]

I would argue that someone that is asymptomatic, suffering no ill effects from the parasite, is basically immune. Fully 20% of the world is infected and asymptomatic.
Not everyone will suffer horrible symptoms.
The same way not everyone is succeptible to west nile, or brown recluse bites.

While I suppose it can be argued, its not a viable argument. Being asymptomatic simply means one does not feel portions of or any of the effects of the parasite, they are still infected which means they are not immune. Some asymptomatic people carry the parasite for many years.

Agreed not everyone will suffer symptoms, some will suffer the full range of them, others only a few. However its not at all like a virus or venom making the comparison to immunity of a parasite difficult to say with scientific certainty.

[Don H]

Lyme disease.

[Greenlight]

Before you start your thru-hike, get with your doctor and see if he will prescribe you a six week supply of doxycycline as a preventive measure. It is a treatment of choice for Lyme disease, and many bacterial illnesses. As soon as you notice symptoms for Lyme or get the squirts, you get cell signal, call your doc's office detailing your symptoms, and start popping the pills every day until they're gone. He can give you as many refills as he's comfortable with giving, and you can refill it at any pharmacy. Doxy is what the military gives deployed service members. In some areas of the world, they take it every day, as it wards off a lot of bad stuff including TB.

[ScareBear]

Before you start your thru-hike, get with your doctor and see if he will prescribe you a six week supply of doxycycline as a preventive measure. It is a treatment of choice for Lyme disease, and many bacterial illnesses. As soon as you notice symptoms for Lyme or get the squirts, you get cell signal, call your doc's office detailing your symptoms, and start popping the pills every day until they're gone. He can give you as many refills as he's comfortable with giving, and you can refill it at any pharmacy. Doxy is what the military gives deployed service members. In some areas of the world, they take it every day, as it wards off a lot of bad stuff including TB.

Doxy is a tetracycline antibiotic. You are talking about a six week supply as a "preventative measure". I don't understand what you mean. Are you talking about taking it as a prophylactic prior to a tick bite? Or are you talking about taking doxy for six weeks after you get the squirts? Because, you can get the squirts from any number of bugs, not all of which are bacterial or amenable to tetracycline treatment, and the VAST majority of which have nothing to do with Lyme disease. Also, if you thought you had the squirts BEFORE you took doxy, you are in for a rude surprise. Doxy is an indiscriminate killer of bacteria, including the good bacteria in your gut....six weeks of doxy and you will learn how to use a bidet...just sayin....

Two other problems with doxy is that first, it makes you highly photosensitive. Thus, you will burn like bacon under a broiler. Second is CD. The use of doxy will enable CD to thrive. So, if you have CD already, get ready for a real fun ride on the toilet for the next six weeks. If you don't already have CD and you are on doxy and encounter the spore? Congratulations! You now have CD. Forever.

Doxy is a great drug. However, I don't know any respectable physician who will give you a SIX WEEK supply with instructions to start taking when you get the squirts...because the squirts can be from CD and then...well....you are really doing harm to yourself...

And, the treatment for prophylaxis of Lyme disease is a SINGLE dose of doxy after the bite or discovery of the tick. 200mg.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11450675

[Greenlight]

I think that the study you referred to was a single dose before the bull's-eye pattern emerged. Once established, Doxy is used to treat the active infection. Otherwise, that's why I stated to call your doc and describe the symptoms, and then take the pills if he recommends them. chronic diarrhea is different than a simple bad meal, yeah?


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[ScareBear]

Chronic diarrhea is almost always something other than Lyme disease. Especially if you don't have the bullseye and don't recall a tick present. Taking doxy without first being examined is a fool's errand, IMHO. If it isn't Lyme, you have really caused yourself a host of other problems and did more harm than good by preventing the diagnoses of the real issue and compromising the patient's gut flora. Plus, you may have caused the patient to needlessly contract CD...

Folks, if you have diarrhea that persists longer than 4 days, get your arse off the trail and to a clinic, post haste....
If you see the bullseye, get off the trail and to a clinic.
If you get a tick bite with no symptoms, call your doc if it makes you feel better. Or, pop a single 200 mg of doxy...you can delay taking it up to 72 hours after the bite...

But, the easiest cure is prevention. Just like you were taught in SexEd. It's easier to prevent the disease than to treat it. THIS is a UNIVERSAL TRUTH...just sayin...

[Dogwood]

Diseases and infections an ATer should be concerned are those transmitted by humans through poor sanitary and hygiene.

1) don't let anyone put their hands into your trail food and don't put you hands in others'

2) avoid AT lean-to's and possibly highly used or trashed campsites

3) treat your water however you define the methodology of doing so

4) don't shake hands with everyone

5) protect yourself from tick borne diseases TIP: it does't just have to be approached by slathering chemicals on you and/or gear

6) know how and where to go #1 and #2 knowing your #1 and #2 doesn't occur in a bubble having no potential consequences to others or the environment

Fungal/mold/dander diseases/irritations are something I'm concerned as a backpacker since most often I'm sleeping on the ground usually cowboy and under a tarp camping

I think it excellent that an ATer has knowledge of venomous or possibly dangerous wildlife such as snake and insect identification knowing how to address avoiding issues by changing one's own knowledge and behavior.

I think it excellent an ATer know how to avoid negative encounters with black bears and possibly moose without having knee jerk proclivities to using a firearm.

I think an ATer would do well knowing how to avoid the common cause s of slips, trips and falls.

I think an ATer would be wise knowing how to honestly assess their well being while being willing to adapt and improvise as needed.

I think an ATer should rightly access their base of skills in relation to risk assessment and their own experiences.

I think an ATer should be able to recognize causes and initial indications of blister development and wise know how to proactively prevent and treat blisters.

I think an ATer should be aware of what's going on around them.

I think an ATer should aim to operate joyfully in knowledge, love, faith, fortitude, patience, generosity, kindness, gratitude, and hope rather than ignorance, hate, harsh judgment, doubt, depression, fear, undue pride, false witness, self absorption, weak mindedness, and impatience.

[handlebar]

I agree with Dogwood above and think everyone should share those traits, not just ATers.

[Venchka]

So you haven't gotten sick. Lots of people haven't. What's your point?

I believe you just made my point.
Wilderness isn't as dangerous as we have been led to believe.
Unfortunately, the AT isn't Wilderness.
Have a great hike!
Wayne


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