"Mary Fisher" wrote:

"RedOnRed" wrote in message
...
Just because you can't see them doesn't mean they're not there.You're
never morethan a few yards (or metres) from rats. You're very unlikely to
contract Weils under normal circumstances.

You can contract Weils simply by exposing a cut or graze in contaminated
water. I heard of a canoeist who did just that...he died fairly quickly.

That's almost the only way you'll get infected - not from having rats in
your garden.

Not true, ANY exposure to rat urine can be enough. Just the kind of
thing someone working in a garden or children clambering around the
place could easily encounter.

We all have rats living very close to us. How many other people do you know
who have contracted Weils?

Two over a period of 20 years, neither contracted it from water and
although this was in an industrial location (pulling in cables in
underground ducts) the circumstances were similar to those encountered
in a domestic situation as mentioned above. Oh and one of the above
only in his 40's never worked again, the other who was much younger
was ok.

The only good rat is a dead one.


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