Cart introducing leptospirosis carriers
BOATER David Davis tells us he raised the matter with Canal & River Trust of the disease leptospirosis not being mentioned in its information, but it states it is, but under 'Weil's Disease'.
Cyclists not told
David further points out that this is only on a boater safety page, but not on any page they intend cyclists (or any of their other 'millions' of towpath visitors) to read, telling us:
"I suggested to them that they might want to include the correct term 'leptospirosis' as well as Weil's Disease, and link to the NHS page for the most thorough and accurate information—and emphasised to them that speeding cyclists falling into the canal and getting immersed head to toe are at more significant risk than boaters. They've made no further response as yet.
"Oh and it's perhaps worth noting that whilst rats and their urine are generally the ones who get implicated in contaminating the canals with leptospirosis, our friends the water voles are also most definitely carriers.":
Seven times more prevalent
The Daily Telegraph article clearly shows that the water voles reintroduced into the canals were found to be nearly seven times as susceptible to diseases such as leptospirosis than existing resident populations.
And though this has been known since 2011, water voles have still been introduced, though causing great danger to waterway visitors having contact with the water, as leptospirosis is nearly always fatal.
Obviously another scheme that was not thoroughly first investigated, and one that should quickly be reversed.