I think a sense of perspective is needed here. A lot of research is done on a very small scale and often in another country and has no bearing here which is also important to remember.There's constant scaremongering and knee jerk reactions to far too much in our current 'Nanny state' society and too many pointless, not fully investigated research and endless statistics fill our newspapers and tv/radio reports. 24 hour 'news' has a lot to answer for.
Next month we'll get told we can spread it on our toast.
What we should be objecting to is the poor quality of compost that many of us have bought this year.Overpriced, inconsistent and in smaller bags.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Journalists love a good scare story, they sell papers. What little information there is can be manipulated to fit the story they want to tell.
But we have to accept that the world is not sterile, in spite of all those killing sprays for home and garden. We have to accept a few dangers or we'd do nothing and die of boredom instead
leigionnaires is found in showers and taps and in nice moist enviroment thats warm.In the hospital we had to run the taps and showers for 2mins each week to clear the pipes of this threat among many.With anything it is wise to take procautions by wearing gloves and a mask .I have worked in many situations where the threat was very real (including swine flu)and to be sure good protection is a must .So with anything even gardening you would be silly not to.
It has been known for a while that Legionnaires can be present in compost, but also fungal spores can be inhaled from compost, and can cause Aspergilliosis.
There was an article in the Lancet a while back, by a doctor who treated a gardener in my nearest A & E at Wycombe - unfortunately the patient died.
Whilst it's fun to have a laugh on these forums, and the chances of anyone catching one of these diseases is very remote, these dangers exist and are certainly nothing to joke about.
Think I will go to another thread to cheer myself up -sorry for the lesson everybody!
I know, and I expect eveyone else does, that it's all out there but if I worried about all the things the papers tell me to worry about, 1. I'd stop doing anything and 2. I'd be too busy worrying to see the non-predicted disaster arriving
I am always filled with good intentions. However, I forget my gloves, drop my compost so plums of dry compost flies in the air, I cut myself on a regular basis. Sometimes you just have to enjoy your gardening and figure you are not going to live forever. Not that any of us want to die of stupidity. I do think however, the butter on my toast will probably get me before the compost.
It would help if the composts that had L. longbeachia were identified. As it is, all are suspected. It is like saying there is horsemeat in some burgers, and then not identifying which supermarket or product.
Were these made from Peat,bark, coir, or recycled green waste?
Australian products have warnings on, but have a different composition, they have more sawdust in, which apparently is more likely to harbour the pathogens.
Wouldn't it be better if any suspect materials were sterilised before packaging?
Bonemeal is usually sterilised before being packaged for garden use, because of the possibility of anthrax being passed on.
Posts
Well done [email protected] many jokers here commenting on a very serious topic.
I think a sense of perspective is needed here. A lot of research is done on a very small scale and often in another country and has no bearing here which is also important to remember.There's constant scaremongering and knee jerk reactions to far too much in our current 'Nanny state' society and too many pointless, not fully investigated research and endless statistics fill our newspapers and tv/radio reports. 24 hour 'news' has a lot to answer for.
Next month we'll get told we can spread it on our toast.
What we should be objecting to is the poor quality of compost that many of us have bought this year.Overpriced, inconsistent and in smaller bags.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Well said FG, people jump off at the deep end whenever another 'scare' story comes along - get a grip people
Journalists love a good scare story, they sell papers. What little information there is can be manipulated to fit the story they want to tell.
But we have to accept that the world is not sterile, in spite of all those killing sprays for home and garden. We have to accept a few dangers or we'd do nothing and die of boredom instead
In the sticks near Peterborough
leigionnaires is found in showers and taps and in nice moist enviroment thats warm.In the hospital we had to run the taps and showers for 2mins each week to clear the pipes of this threat among many.With anything it is wise to take procautions by wearing gloves and a mask .I have worked in many situations where the threat was very real (including swine flu)and to be sure good protection is a must .So with anything even gardening you would be silly not to.
It has been known for a while that Legionnaires can be present in compost, but also fungal spores can be inhaled from compost, and can cause Aspergilliosis.
There was an article in the Lancet a while back, by a doctor who treated a gardener in my nearest A & E at Wycombe - unfortunately the patient died.
It's not only The Mail reporting this - see also the link " information:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/2116523/Gardener-killed-by-fungus-in-his compost.html"
Whilst it's fun to have a laugh on these forums, and the chances of anyone catching one of these diseases is very remote, these dangers exist and are certainly nothing to joke about.
Think I will go to another thread to cheer myself up -sorry for the lesson everybody!
I know, and I expect eveyone else does, that it's all out there but if I worried about all the things the papers tell me to worry about, 1. I'd stop doing anything and 2. I'd be too busy worrying to see the non-predicted disaster arriving
In the sticks near Peterborough
I am always filled with good intentions. However, I forget my gloves, drop my compost so plums of dry compost flies in the air, I cut myself on a regular basis. Sometimes you just have to enjoy your gardening and figure you are not going to live forever. Not that any of us want to die of stupidity. I do think however, the butter on my toast will probably get me before the compost.
Anne
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
It would help if the composts that had L. longbeachia were identified. As it is, all are suspected. It is like saying there is horsemeat in some burgers, and then not identifying which supermarket or product.
Were these made from Peat,bark, coir, or recycled green waste?
Australian products have warnings on, but have a different composition, they have more sawdust in, which apparently is more likely to harbour the pathogens.
Wouldn't it be better if any suspect materials were sterilised before packaging?
Bonemeal is usually sterilised before being packaged for garden use, because of the possibility of anthrax being passed on.