poster for our walk

sponsorship form

Kayaking at shaws bridge

Here's a youtube video of Harry kayaking at Shaw's bridge Belfast,it would be unfair to say this was where Harry caught Weil's disease,but kayaking in flood water did carry a higher risk of doing so,maybe if we had being informed of this risk,we may have chosen another day to kayak,as well as raising much needed funds for the Ulster hospital we hope to educate others to the dangers of Weils disease

Sponsorship form

Please download this sponsorship form for our walk,the minimum amount is £28.00 which can either be raised through sponsorship or by paying on the day.

Ulster Hospital ICU Charity Walk

Slieve Donard Sunday 4^th March.

The culprit

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 weils disease and ask the doctor for a blood test to be carried out

DO cover with waterproof plasters or gloves all scratches, cuts, sores and breaks in the skin. Disinfect any wounds as soon as possible if they occur whilst at the waterside.
ALWAYS wash your hands or cover food with a wrapper before you eat.
NEVER put your hand to your mouth after immersion in river water and never place bait or fishing line in the mouth.
DON'T touch any dead animal especially rats.
NEVER leave food, groundbait or bait on the bankside.       

AND ALWAYS TAKE YOUR RUBBISH HOME

• An attack of Weil's Disease resembles a cold or flu in the initial stages. The incubation period is from 3 to 19days
• Early Symptoms are: Fever, Muscular aches and pains, lost of appetite, nausea when lying down.
• Later Symptoms may include: Bruising of the skin, Sore eyes, Nose bleeds, Jaundice.
• The fever lasts for approximately five days, then a significant deterioration follows.

If untreated, Weil's Disease can be serious and or become FATAL

If  you become ill a few days after a caving trip, and you have any of the above symptoms, it is extremely important to contact your doctor as soon as possible. You must tell your doctor that you suspect Weil's Disease, as many of them do not associate it with influenza symptoms without a helpful hint. Treatment with antibiotics is only effective if started rapidly after symptoms develop. A blood test is conducted to determine the presence of Weil's Disease, the Public Health Laboratory receiving the test should perform an ELISA test for Leptospirosis. If in the United Kingdom, and the local PHL cannot perform and ELISA test, the sample should be sent to: The Leptospirosis Reference Unit, Public Health Laboratory, County Hospital, Hereford HR1 2ER. Telephone 0432 277707. This contact is for UK use only, by the doctor or PHL staff only.
Weil's Disease is a notifiable illness in the UK and it is essential to disclose a confirmed case to the local Public Health office, who will need to know where you believe it was caught.

so what is Weils disease

Weil's disease, believed to have caused the death this week of Olympic gold medal-winning rower Andy Holmes, is the acute human form of a bacterial infection with a raft of different names: mud fever, swamp fever, haemorrhagic jaundice, swineherd's disease, sewerman's flu. All are known as Leptospirosis, mild cases of which affect millions of people every year worldwide.

The infection is caught through contact with infected animal urine (mainly from rodents, cattle or pigs), generally in contaminated water, and typically enters the body through cuts or scrapes, or the lining of the nose, mouth, throat or eyes. Only a very few patients experience the severe, life-threatening illness known as Weil's disease, thought to kill two or three people a year in Britain.

After an incubation period that can vary from three days to three weeks, most patients suffer severe headaches, red eyes, muscle pains, fatigue, nausea and a temperature of 39C or above. In roughly a third of cases there is a skin rash; sometimes hallucinations.

In very severe cases, symptoms include haemorrhaging from the mouth, eyes and internally. There is significant and rapid organ damage: liver and kidney failure can occur within 10 days, leading to jaundice (these are the only cases that can properly be called Weil's disease). Hospitalisation, followed by antibiotics and often dialysis, will be required if the patient is to survive. Recovery can take months.

According to British Rowing, the risk of contracting Weil's disease from recreational water in the UK is "very small". Infection is logically more likely in slow-moving or stagnant water and areas where agriculture and rodents mix; lakes, ponds and canals are more likely to be contaminated than fast-running streams, although some activities – angling, for example, where minor cuts and nicks are common, and swimming, where some water will almost inevitably enter the mouth – could heighten exposure.

Rowers and canoeists should cover all cuts and abrasions; avoid splashing themselves, or swallowing potentially contaminated water; wash their hands carefully and if possible shower afterwards; and wash all equipment and clothing regularly. Anyone experiencing flu-like symptoms after contact with fresh water should see their doctor