Mind the puddle

By: Lauren Collins

Posted: 9/16/08

Perhaps you have walked out of class one day to discover an unexpected rainfall. You may have been wearing your Rainbows or your favorite flip-flops, and for whatever reason, might have decided to take off your shoes and attack the wet ground with your bare feet. Maybe you were trying to avoid browning your feet or sloshing water on your pants or bare legs. It is hard to fathom how people do not think about the gunk they are placing their precious toes in.

Though there is an effort to keep our campus clean, there is the occasional object that may cut into your feet when darting from class to class. Once your feet are sliced, you may be setting yourself up for further risks.

Tetanus could be a potential threat, as infectious spores enter the body through wounds, releasing bacteria that could lead to muscle spasms and fractured vertebrae. Soil, which can be carried with water run-off, is a carrier of tetanus risks-not only the rusty nails or metal scrap that we may sometimes fear.

Many students have received a tetanus shot, but the risk could still be present.

During the big scare of fecal coliform in the local water system a few months ago, people waited days to take showers, in fear of the potentially "poopy" water.

Birds and pets contribute to the risk of such pathogen-producing bacteria that can lead to ear infections, viral and bacterial gastroenteritis and hepatitis A.

I'm pretty sure our campus has flying friends and Fidos that venture through the sidewalks and streets. They certainly give you something to think about the next time you feel like going bare.

If that doesn't make you queasy, perhaps schistosomiasis, an infectious agent found in water, affecting 200 million people in more than 50 countries, will. With 850 billion gallons of raw sewage sent into U.S. waters yearly, there is a potential hazard for groundwater contamination. Polluted water may cause rashes, encephalitis or diarrhea. If a person inhales the spores of the fungus histoplasma capsulatum, he or she may develop a respiratory infection known as acute pulmonary histoplasmosis and suffer from mild flu-like symptoms. This fungus is found in soil near river valleys and can also enter soil through bird droppings.

There is also the possibility of the irritating and unattractive ringworm fungus, also known as "tinea." Tinea pedis or "athlete's foot" causes inflammation between the toes, blisters and scaling on the heels and soles. As the most common skin disorder, "athlete's foot" affects 70 percent of the population within their lifetime.

With all of that being said, who wants to jump in a puddle now?

This writer can be contacted at opinion@theeastcarolinian.com.