8 Gardening Risks and How to Stay Safe
Tetanus
What it is
: Always wear gloves and closed-toe shoes. Ensure you’re up-to-date on your tetanus vaccination.
Stay safe
: Always wear gloves and closed-toe shoes. Ensure you’re up-to-date on your tetanus vaccination.
Lyme Disease
What it is
: A tick-borne disease transmitted by the bite of infected ticks found in wooded areas.
Stay safe
: Wear long sleeves and pants, use insect repellent, and check for ticks after gardening.
Ringworm
What it is
: A fungal infection that can spread through direct contact with infected soil or plants.
Stay safe
: Wear protective gloves, and avoid touching your face or scratching after gardening.
Histoplasmosis
What it is
: A fungal infection that can be contracted by inhaling spores from bird or bat droppings in the soil.
Stay safe
: Wear a mask when working in areas with bird or bat droppings. Avoid disturbing nests.
Poison Ivy, Oak, and Sumac
What it is
: Skin rashes caused by contact with these plants, which contain an oily resin called urushiol.
Stay safe
: Learn to identify these plants and wear long sleeves, gloves, and boots when handling them.
Salmonella
What it is
: A bacterial infection often contracted by handling contaminated soil or manure.
Stay safe
: Wash hands thoroughly after handling soil, compost, or manure, and avoid touching your face.
Leptospirosis
What it is
: A bacterial infection spread by water contaminated with the urine of infected animals, such as rodents.
Stay safe
: Avoid working in flooded areas, wear waterproof gloves and boots, and wash hands after gardening.
Giardia
What it is
: A parasitic infection caused by drinking or coming into contact with contaminated water or soil.
Stay safe
: Avoid drinking from unclean water sources, and wash hands after gardening or handling contaminated soil.
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