Holy Moly! I love to learn stuff, but some stuff I would rather not learn in a “first hand” manner. Ya know what I mean? Like emergency response times (I am not saying I learned this first hand), but that is an example I am using. I don’t want to know first hand how long it takes for an ambulance or a fire truck to get to me . . . because that would mean I would be in a situation where I had the opportunity to learn that. That is what I mean. There are some things I could do without learning or could have done with out learning. Recently I learned about something I had never heard of and quiet frankly I am shocked. But I guess it is a really good thing because perhaps that means that it is not that common. Have you ever heard of Rose Grower’s Disease or Rose Gardener’s Disease? It is an actual “disease” you can get from a rose!!
I know so many people who have roses, I am surprised I have
never hear of it until now. I am just going to quote directly from an online dictionary:
“Sporotrichosis is a chronic infection caused by the microscopic fungus Sporothrix schenckii. The disease causes ulcers on the skin that are painless but do not heal, as well as nodules or knots in the lymph channels near the surface of the body. Infrequently, sporotrichosis affects the lungs, joints, or central nervous system and can cause serious illness.
The fungus that causes sporotrichosis is found in spagnum moss, soil, and rotting vegetation. Anyone can get sporotrichosis, but it is most common among nursery workers, farm laborers, and gardeners handling spagnum moss, roses, or barberry bushes.”
The fungus can get into your system via cut or a scrape. Of anyone who has handled a rose, who has NOT been stabbed by a thorn? Eek. And that is how you get it from the fungus from the source itself. It is not contagious, as in it does not get passed from person to person. But it is Zoonosis, so according to Wiki a person can get it from an infected animal. I was thinking that it must be one of those things that people get when they have a weakened immune system . . . and . . . yup, that is what this dictionary states. Otherwise I think it would be more common and I would have gotten it. Because I have been pricked by thorns a lot. Sometimes I look down and the thorn is still in my skin. OWWWW. Could be too that our roses don’t have this fungus, but I don’t know.
When trying to come up with words and phrases to do a search on the internet that would show me what a rose bush that has this fungus looks like, other pictures that I cannot stomach showed up. So if any of you know what the plant would look like . . . please let me know. (Be careful searching the internet!)
The information that I have read regarding the disease states that it is painless, but it does not look painless. But any time I see a red bump I think it is painful, but that is not always the case. The treatment varies . . . as in the medicine used, but all information I have seen says it my be taken for weeks sometimes months of treatment. So apparently it takes a long time to get this out of the body.
So . . . if you garden wear your gloves and be careful out there.
Had you heard of this disease? Do you know what roses that have it look like?
Terre Pruitt's Blog 