Sporatrichosis

[dougroc]

I just wanted people to know about a rare potential health risk from handling sphagnum moss.

I've never known of anyone personally who contracted this, but it probably makes
sense to wear gloves when handling this product.

Growing Tips

http://horticulture.oregonstate.edu/...onn110308a.pdf

http://www.rv-orchidworks.com/orchid...ng-medium.html

[Magnus A]

This is probably a thing you should NOT be worried about.

Have anyone, in any society had a confirmed infection?
And if so, how many have not! over how many years?

"The Sporatrichum organism lives in the soil, on plants and can exist in our potting material, especially sphagnum moss."
This meen that it is everywere not only in spagnum for orchids... Why treat spagnumm differently? becouse an outbrak has been traced to spagnum? This is ridiculous. The most cases is known from Rose gardeners as it has been refered to as "rose gardener’s infection"!

[raybark]

Actually, it is prevalent in sphagnum, too.

I have suffered from bump skin on my hands from handling sphagnum when my hands were covered with scratches from newly acquired kittens, but without broken skin, it is not usually a major issue.

Breathing the dust can be a problem....

[coeruleo]

i've read about it, not too worried.

[Magnus A]

Actually, it is prevalent in sphagnum, too.

I have suffered from bump skin on my hands from handling sphagnum when my hands were covered with scratches from newly acquired kittens, but without broken skin, it is not usually a major issue.

Breathing the dust can be a problem....

Ray, was it confirmed to be Sporotrichosis? Did you get treatment?
I just wonder as you can get skin iritation from alot of things.