> From the Fear-monger department: I have been told that aging kerosene in > parts washing tubs can culture a deadly flesh eating bacteria. Anyone else > ever heard this? > > Actually, I was just reading about necrotizing fasciitis (I have odd reading habits). At the risk of sounding like an even BIGGER fear monger, it's even creepier than that. What is called the "flesh eating bacteria" is nothing more than group A streptococcus, which is all over the place. A strep infection of the mucous membranes is slow enough to knock down with antibiotics; but if it somehow gets through the skin, it just rolls right on through the underlying tissue like crazy. Nasty stuff. Many strains are showing up with resistance to antibiotics. A lot of different anaerobic bacteria can live in kerosene. Dunno if strep A can. Either way, I think you're OK so long as you don't get it under your skin into deep tissue. The only kerosene link I could find was one case where someone came down with chemically induced necrotizing fasciitis after injecting kerosene into his legs, but that was a weird self mutilation thing. <http://app.kfshrc.edu.sa/annals/articles/23_6/02-179.pdf> (warning: contains icky pictures) But you know, life is dangerous in general. If you look closely enough, you can find danger anywhere. Best not to worry too much about it. -- John Bange '90 Vanagon - "Geldsauger" |
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