Have you gotten a disease or been poisoned while cruising?

[sailingchiro]

The main benefit of learning from others mishaps is building a medicine kit for sailors.
I also tell my children, smart people learn from their mistakes, brilliant people learn from others mistakes.

[Cheechako]

I think mostly it's pretty rare. I'd inoculate for Hepatitis though.
-I do know someone who got an Amoeba (?) in the liver from water, it was a bad thing and difficult to solve.
-Food poisoning is not uncommon at all.

[BobLoucks]

Originally Posted by richardhc

I'm doing an article about staying healthy while cruising for noonsite and am looking for stories from sailors who have gotten malaria, dengue (or some other mossie borne disease), Ciguatera or other food poisoning, a badly infected coral cut. Especially if this happened in a very remote area and totally messed up your cruising for a long time.
The objective is to make cruisers realize these are serious issues and, frankly, scare them into taking the necessary steps to prevent sharing the experience.
Your story can be completely anonymous if you wish.
Reply on this thread or message me to get in contact.
I'm doing the article for free as part of a noonsite series on cruising kindly.

In 2012 during a voyage from the Great Lakes (Canada) to Tampa Bay, I developed a blood infection called Cellulitis on the leg from Beaufort to Titusville.

This caused extreme fatigue, nausea and disorientation. When we put into Jacksonville, I was putting it off as a case of the flu. By the time we reached Titusville I required medical care and was driven to Bradenton near our final destination and close to our winter home.

To my surprise when I showed up to the emergency care clinic they arranged for me to go immediately to Manatee County Hospital upon diagnosing the issue. I was immediately admitted and put on an IV with very strong antibiotics, given ultrasounds and several other urgent procedures.

I ended up flying home to Canada when sufficiently recovered to convalesce.

Bottom line if I were not sailing with an experienced captain and other crew, this would have been more serious and potentially fatal. The problem originated by failing to properly disinfect a leg injury.

Lesson learned make sure you take minor cuts and bruises seriously, have proper first aid materials on board and use them. If you become disabled make sure there are competent crew available to get you to safety.

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by rfkneller

Once got a case of crabs in Annapolis.

Sounds like you are part of the at risk population. Better steer clear of the Jersey shore. LOL

[Woodland Hills]

Dinner takeout from the marina restaurant where we stayed last night gave me the squirts......

[John DeLong]

Our crew suffered; malaria, cholera, typhoid, dengue, coral abrasions and infection, box jelly fish sting, cuts, lacerations, contusions, crush injuries and probable concussions, animal bites, head lice and food poisoning - but never a sunburn - in eight yrs of cruising.



The most frightening situation was upriver in Guyana (near Bartica) where the crew contracted malaria, cholera and dengue at one time. My young daughter was very ill and we tried to return to Trinidad but she couldn't keep her meds down at sea - we couldn't evacuate by plane as she was sick with cholera - highly contagious and restricted from entering Trinidad. The local clinic was very helpful and we all survived. But we learned how quickly the options can disappear if captain and crew are incapacitated in a remote location. Box jelly fish sting on the captain in Las Perlas was also a long way from assistance and put a lot of stress on the crew. A French boat provided medical assistance and antibiotics in Suwarrow with a badly infected coral cut that would not respond to the antibiotics we had. This atoll is a minimum 4-5 days from anywhere....



I suggest that anyone cruising IN REMOTE PLACES have advanced training in first aid and therapeutics including administration of drugs. An extensive first aid kit including splints (hand, wrist, finger etc), sutures, syringes and implements (needles, forceps, tweezers etc) and a pharmacy including broad spectrum antibiotics, pain medication, emetics, and all the usual; ice packs, iodine, alcohol, ointments, bandages (incl finger, eye patch, hemostatic etc. and tape). Also have the ability to reach assistance - by SW radio or satellite phone - know where the clinics, hospitals and consulates are in the country you are visiting.



Have up to date tetanus and yellow fever innoculations, and consider whether to take prophylactics for malaria, dengue, etc. based on your travel plans.



Finally, a good reference book is invaluable when you're trying to diagnose a vague illness or rash, or treat a complicated situation, and AVOID MAKING THINGS WORSE. It also helps to have a common knowledge of the appropriate vocabulary when talking with a doctor - especially if that is remote (e.g. over the radio). We used the Medicine for Mountaineering and Where There Is No Doctor along with other supplemental materials for marine specific concerns (jelly fish, cone shells, sting rays, ciguatera etc.)


We travelled in very remote locations and often as a solo boat, with children, so these suggestions may seem extreme to those visiting marinas or staying in more populated areas - make your own choices. For us, good seamanship means anticipating the possible scenarios and considering and developing options - being prepared.


Be well and have fun!

[pianopraze]

I get sick from chicken in the USA all the time. Especially buffalo wings.

Never got sick once from it in the Philippines during 3 years there.

Beware the chicken when traveling to the USA!

[kev_rm]

I developed acute chronic fibromyalgia after repeated exposure to the zinc on my galvanized anchor chain and rocna anchor. It has been a very long and painful journey and there is no end in sight. I'd recommend a bruce.

[bmz]

Originally Posted by rfkneller

Once got a case of crabs in Annapolis.

They're sold by the bushel, not the case.

[BobLoucks]

So did you take them home and share them?

[AiniA]

I mentioned this in another thread but worth doing it again. A few days after leaving Easter Island for Pitcairn and FP I developed a staph infection where my leg joined my bum. No idea where it came from but a doctor said the infection can even go up a hair follicle. By coincidence we had spent some time with a Canadian doctor who was on his way from the Galapagos to Chile. He suggested two approaches - lancing the infection which neither my wife nor I were too keen about - especially me and twice daily hot compresses to draw out the infections. Tried a general purpose antibiotic (copra) we had on board. It did little. Treatment and time helped but only a bit. The infection spread to the knee area.

We spent three weeks in Mangareva in FP and the clinic there saw we every two or three days to change dressings mainly. When we got to Papeete went to the fancy new hospital where a very nice doctor and nurse dug away at my knee with a pair of scissors. The attractive ladies with French accents helped with pain but the antibiotics they prescribed did little. A woman on another boat in the Papeete marina had a similar but worse staph infection. When we got to Fiji, notice a pattern here, I went to the private hospital where the doctor prescribed another antibiotic which is specific for skin infections. He charged $6 and two courses of the antibiotic (one for the first aid kit) cost $6.

Lessons, you really need for antibiotic types onboard: one for respiratory infections, one for digestive infections, one for tooth infections, and one for skin infections (sorry forget the names of the antibiotics). Also, you need a lot more of the 2" by 2" sterile pads than you might think. We had a package of about 30 but when through them quickly - for cleaning and dressings. We used menstrual pads which worked well and pieces of t-shirt cut and boiled. The latter were reused several times. Bought a box of 200 of these and have never used one of course.

[Chotu]

I might be able to win this one. Ha ha.

I got cyanide poisoning from overheating foam during my boat build. That require an overnight stay in the hospital. For observation. I had pretty strong acidosis in my blood.

I also have severe allergic asthma brought on by exposure to epoxy. epoxy is capable of killing me now. It sets off an anaphylactic reaction when I get near it.
It also set off a bunch of other allergies at the same time. I used to be allergic to nothing before the epoxy changed my immune system. Now I am allergic to Epoxy,, citrus, particulate air pollution, dairy, and mold.

Each of these allergens affect me in a different way. Epoxy gives me an anaphylactic reaction. Citrus gives me a rheumatoid arthritis type of reaction where my joints get stiff, my muscles get really tired, and it puts me to bed for two days. Particulate air pollution causes me to not be able to breathe. Severe asthma. Dairy causes me to not be able to use the bathroom. For four days. Mold does pretty much the same thing as the particular air pollution. I can’t breathe.

All of my health problems are a direct result of boats and Not knowing any better about exposure to some of these things.

If you are working with any chemical whatsoever, you must read the MSDS sheet or I think they are called the SDS sheet now. Look very carefully. Do everything they tell you to do to avoid this material. They can cause health problems like above.

I have cruised all over the western hemisphere, and didn’t get any injuries while cruising. Did not even get sick. But I had all of my immunizations as well. And I did not spend any time in mosquitoes. I do not like those things. LOL

[gamayun]

Two weeks before I spent 10 days on a liveaboard dive vessel in Palau (traveling from the US East Coast) I came down with shingles. I was just about to turn 51. It caused excruciating pain on my leg from hip to knee for at least a week and only moderate paint the second week. I was miserable. At the time, I had no idea a vaccine was available and was recommended for people over 50. You might want to mention this, too. It would have ruined the trip for me both personally and financially had it happened just a short time later.

[Manateeman]

The Danger Lurking in Manatee Waters...
So my friend and I are walking in 3 feet deep tropical water watching manatees.
He steps on a big sea urchin. This Island has no M.D. but there is a Doctor.
He accepts chickens for payment. He has two assistants who could bench press a car. The one with the rum is the anesthesiologist. The patient sits in a chair with his foot up so the doctor can examine the heel where a bit of black spine sticks out right in the middle of the heel. The anesthesia...four rums...is beginning to mellow the patient and the two assistants joke as they light up a joint the size of a cigar. The doctor informs the patient to inhale the joint deeply and that on the count of three, the very short procedure will take place. On one, the assistants hold the patient firmly. On two, the doctor whacks the heel with a wooden mallet. There never is three. The doctor picks out the itty -bitty spine pieces with tweezers sterilized in rum. Upon discharge, the patient is given a bottle of rum, three big joints and a few good man well wishes from the assistants. Total costs. $ 30 plus fishing line, some wrenches and every candle on the boat. Recovery was perfect and made fond memories for all.
Happy trails to you
Captain Mark and his rum over ice manatees

[billgewater]

Or you could get on a cruise ship and get Covid. I'd rather go sailing. Much safer.

When planning to enter any area it pays to catch up on local health issues. Be informed and prepared. Apparently if going to Annapolis, a specific prophylactic may be a good idea.