Dangerous Digging In Bakersfield?

[jason longboard]

Watching this topic with great anticipation....

I have an Isurus in the matrix from the post originator and just touching the matrix portion gives off a very fine dust

Every matrix I have from here gives off dust, its not much rock here, just hard packed dirty dirt lol.

[tracer]

i would venture to say that i believe many of the many thousands of people who get valley fever every year do not get it from "huffing the topsoil". i think many of them get it just from being outdoors in areas where the wind-blown spore volume is sufficient to get some spores into their lungs.

[jason longboard]

i would venture to say that i believe many of the many thousands of people who get valley fever every year do not get it from "huffing the topsoil". i think many of them get it just from being outdoors in areas where the wind-blown spore volume is sufficient to get some spores into their lungs.

well keep in mind like you say is along the line of the huge dust storms we get here often. I mean bad. No hiding from it either.

[jason longboard]

You know, I wanted to add, you guys have been very mature, witty and understanding so far in this forum. Its so snarge refreshing to not be around a bunch of trolls with bad aditudes. Thanks.

[Tony Eaton]

Hi Jason,

I think you have a valid point about the # of people in the area and the fact that most do not get sick. My friend's dad was diabetic and from what I know did not ever touch soil intentionally so probably just breathed spores in the air as tracer mentions. My post was to point out this stuff is in Texas, something that didn't quite click with me before.

I'd assume though too that even with some immunity anyone could reach an exposure level that would make you sick no matter what. I recall a Nova special on chemical warfare where they explain at a certain exposure level most disease will overwhelm anyone's immune system. Personally if I hear of 3 people digging in one hole and they all get seriously ill I'd probably skip that spot, but I understand there is risk in everything and that you are probably at more danger driving to the spot or sitting on the computer eating snack food that might give you heart disease ;-)

I think it is fair to discuss the dangers of digging at this spot in this post as it is the original point of the post. I had not read this post before as it was started before I knew about this site so I'm glad you posted an update. I think this is an interesting thread.

Tony

Edited August 13, 2010 by Tony Eaton

[Hawkeye]

well keep in mind like you say is along the line of the huge dust storms we get here often. I mean bad. No hiding from it either.

It is these dust storms that account for a large amount of the illness. You must keep in mind that Valley Fever can range from asymptomatic (60% of cases), to a slight annoying sniffle (the other 40% of cases), to full blow disseminated disease (very few cases realtive to the number of exposed individuals). The severity of the disease depends on a large number of factors including the innoculum size,the overall health/immune status of the host and any other underlying risk factors of the host. The vast majority of patients who end up with serious disseminated disease had other underlying risk factors. You will always be at risk for Cocci when you are in the endemic zone but the risk for full blown disseminated disease, for most people, will be small. There are actually published guidelines for fieldwork in endemic areas. These guidelines would probably be very applicable to digging for teeth:

Guidelines for Geological Filedwork in Areas with Endemic Coccidioides

[Auspex]

Excellent information, Hawkeye! Informed decisions are now possible.

[tracer]

i would not want to be carrying a fungal infection of that sort regardless of whether i was currently asymptomatic, out of concern that it would zap me two or three decades later when my immune system was less robust.

[Auspex]

i would not want to be carrying a fungal infection of that sort regardless of whether i was currently asymptomatic, out of concern that it would zap me two or three decades later when my immune system was less robust.

Have you ever been to central Arizona? If yes, did you breathe while there?

[tracer]

Have you ever been to central Arizona? If yes, did you breathe while there?

i'm not answering. for all i know, you're a cdc quarantine gendarme. besides, whatever cooties one might be harboring scarcely serve as a justification to acquire more.

is arizona part of oklahoma? i have trouble keeping track of everything outside the country.

[jason longboard]

i'm not answering. for all i know, you're a cdc quarantine gendarme. besides, whatever cooties one might be harboring scarcely serve as a justification to acquire more.

is arizona part of oklahoma? i have trouble keeping track of everything outside the country.

cooties lol. Well, at least I dont feel like we believe that the shell portions or the teeth brought home and blown off are going to hurt anyone. It would not be cool for those of us here to not be able to sell or trade our stuff because ppl think its all got coodies.

I just read something though. If I stand back while watching a couple gentlemen dig, and they find a few megs, and they then give them to me, then they will not contract the fever. It seems to be rather good news for all of us.