I was by the creek, and I got a cut, and my shoes got wet... that's about the jist of it. So i basically have a cut that has had contact with creek water.
What kind of diseases should i look out for? And what kind of symptoms would they produce?
Should i be worried? is there a chance it's really nothing at all? Thanks.
By "cut" do you mean one you could cover with a bandaid? Or a big, deep cut?
If it's fairly small, then it's very unlikely anything serious will happen to you as a result. Just wash it out with clean water and maybe a little disinfectant. IF it happens to get red and swollen, get it checked out, but that probably won't happen.
A very deep wound, or one that you can't close with a bandaid, should always be checked out, in case you need stitches or tetanus shot or something.
The bacteria in most creeks are no worse than the ones anywhere else, and with minor cuts, your immune system can normally handle them on its own. Washing and covering with a bandaid also helps.
Now, if you got a human or animal bite, or had a cut come in contact with an open cesspit, that would be a setup for some nasty infections.
I was by the creek, and I got a cut, and my shoes got wet... that's about the jist of it. So i basically have a cut that has had contact with creek water.
What kind of diseases should i look out for? And what kind of symptoms would they produce?
Should i be worried? is there a chance it's really nothing at all? Thanks.
I just wanted to add something: in general, uncomplicated skin infections are caused by gram POSITIVE organisms (like Streptococcus and Staphylococcus) which normally live on our skin and don't cause trouble. If you get a cut on the skin, those bacteria can get in and cause trouble. These are treated with antibiotics which are mainly aimed at these organisms (such as Cephalexin, Cefazolin or for MRSA, Septra)
HOWEVER, with water exposure, there is a higher risk of a breed of different types of bacteria which are gram NEGATIVES. This is something to consider only if an infection develops. If there is no sign of infection on the skin, there is no role for "preventative" antibiotics. However, if there IS signs of infection, you need to use different antibiotics that are aimed at gram negative organisms including: ciprofloxacin, septra & third generation cephalosporins such as ceftriaxone or ceftazidime.
There are some other strange infections which can be seen with CHRONIC water exposure (i.e. fish tank handlers) which require a different group of antibiotics yet, but this is NOT what your situation is like.
