Much more than a soaking

WHILST it's tempting to chuckle at a speeding towpath cyclist who gets their comeuppance by landing in a canal, they may end up with more than a soaking, writes David Davis.

Falling in canals is a good way to catch leptospirosis: (http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/leptospirosis)

Need to wash themselves

This is especially the case if the person soaked from head to toe isn't aware of the need to wash themselves and any soaked items (such as a mobile phone) afterwards, and eats or drinks or puts unwashed hands in their mouths. Any open cuts or grazes on their body (something made more likely by falling off a bike at speed) can also be an infection route.

As far as I can see, CaRT's pages on cycling (https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/see-and-do/cycling) do not have any mention of leptospirosis whatsoever—indeed, typing 'leptospirosis' into the search field produces no mention of the word on its entire site.

If one experiences flu-like symptoms after exposure to canal water, it's important to see your GP quickly. The condition is readily treatable with antibiotics but in the worst instance can be fatal if left untreated.