Probability of contracting Endocarditis in Mexico and the Caribbean.

[bdryer]

Good day

I was implanted with a MAV on Mar 21/10 at age 56. I am planning a Mexican vacation next Autumn. I swim 1.5 to 2 Km at home 4-7 days a week. On vacation I swim the same distance every day. My big fear is contracting endocarditis from Tropical water, be it the ocean or closed pool. Any thoughts, or folks here with experience in contracting endocarditis from these destinations?

Thanks

 

[yotphix]

I'm in Mexico a couple of times a year, and haven't ever been seriously ill from it in any way(I'd recommend you avoid the fish tacos though, in a restaurant where it is plain to see that the sink plumbing is not hooked up! Sometimes I can be a bit stupid when I'm hungry.). I do swim in pools, but as I'm on the Pacific side, I find the ocean a bit too cold. I would tend to stay away from swimming in any area that seems to be a sewage outlet. In Southern California harbours my nose tells me that many of the yachts contravene the proscriptions against overboard discharge on a regular basis. In Imperial Beach, which abuts the Mexican border at the southwest corner of the US, you can smell the sewage in the Tijuana river outlet when the wind swings southerly.
Enjoy your holiday, and if you are a worrier, ask you doc for an antibiotic prescription before you go just to carry in case. As it happens, you can buy them over the counter without a prescription in EUM but I can't vouch for their authenticity or efficacy. (Actually, I did buy some amoxicillin there once, and it made my skin smell the same as it does when I take what I get in Canada, so I guess I kind of can.)
In any case, Merry Christmas, and have fun!

 

[Gail in Ca]

I got my bacteria without leaving my home. I have been to Mexico 3 times since having AVR. I didn't even think about a higher risk of BE, because I didn't really know all the ways one could get it. Now that I am more informed, I am just a bit more concerned about getting it again, no matter where I take a vacation. When walking on the beach in Santa Cruz, I wondered about being barefoot. It sucks that this enters my mind, and it never did until I got BE. I don't think I would take random antibiotics if I felt flu like symptoms without having a blood culture first! I was given 3 types to kill my staph strain, 2 IV in a picc line, one oral, and none were amox!

 

[Greg a]

You had the MAV for a better life ........go enjoy ......but do it wisely

 

[Jkm7]

We've spent a considerable amount of time all over the Caribbean and have visited many of the islands time and again. I think the chances of contracting endocarditis from swimming in the Caribbean are infintesimal. The liklihood very, very small. We were just in Cozumel a few weeks ago but just for a day on a cruise ship.

Go and enjoy and don't worry.
Use the same good common sense you use at home. If it doesn't look clean, if you smell an odor that is disturbing, if others are avoiding swimming, use your good judgment.

Have fun!

 

[bdryer]

Very encouraging responses! Thanks to all who have shared their experiences and thoughts.

 

[Jason]

I was just in Cancun at the beginning of December for a week, and never even thought about contracting BE from the water. I may have some research to do on my own, now. All that being said, I feel fine since getting back, and suspect that I don't have any issues. I enjoyed the heck out of the ocean while we were there, also!

 

[Julian]

Wow, never considered catching endocarditis because I usually am a very inactive person. My idea of vacation is staying at the house and not doing anything all day. May I ask, does the chance of contracting endocarditis increase after AVR vs before or is it the same because in the past I would never take antibiotics when I was sick, maybe I was just lucky. Yikes!

 

[bdryer]

It's great to have some of my old gang jumping in and saying, bin their, done that.

Julian, simply having Aortic stenosis or a bicuspid AV or any untreated valve problem makes you a candidate for endocarditis. Having artificial valve implantation does not mean we are free of contracting the bloody disease. The probability remains. Like Greg A said, we underwent valve replacement for a better life! I want to maintain my gift of life, which means I'm going to watch out for setbacks.

For all you water freaks that are curious if you can scuba with a MAV, according to my cardiologist we can. Cool Eh! He said he's more concerned with me being at altitude. To late, I've been snow skiing at 8000 ft. The first day I was gulping a little for air, after a season off waiting for surgery last Mar 21. 2nd day was like.....WT? I'm back. No probs with respiration!

As for endocarditis prevention, I'm ingesting 50 billion to 100 billion of probiotics daily. Just me doing my own experimentation.
Probiotics are excellent for the immune system.

Holy crap, it's almost 5PM, time for my Rat poison fix. As it's boxing day, I'll chase it with a cold beer! Yummy warfarin and Canadian brewskis, my Fav. LOL!

See ya.

 

[Luana]

Endocarditis is most often caused by strep or staph, and they're everywhere, both commonly found on your skin.

I wondered about this, too, when I was diagnosed with it years ago and I had been to Europe several times that year. The infectious disease doc told me the above; you don't even have to leave home to get it.

You should be fine. Enjoy your trip.

 

[bdryer]

Very interesting indeed.....most who have commented on this post or previous posts, Re "endocarditis", with the unfortunate experience of contracting endocarditis, experienced the misfortune, [outside of the tropics] on home territory. OK, like who is cleaning your house, Kidding. LOL!

Hmmmm, strep and staph eh? Lord knows I battled bloody strep under age 10 in the 60's, then staph infections in my teens throughout my 20's, throughout out the 70's. Fortunately no endocarditis.

I will indeed enjoy this trip!

In addition to loading up on the probiotics, I have been upping my fresh garlic and turmeric consumption to enhance my immunity. So far...no cold, flu, or endocarditis. Prior to surgery for AV replacement and repair of an ascending aorta aneurism, I was always sick. Now....OMG I'm doing AOK. For those of us warfarin junkies, yes you can > your herbal intake of homeopathic goodies, just be consistent, test your INR, adjust as required and then be consistent. Wow...how hard is that. Haha....not hard at all!!!!!

Hoping to avoid endocarditis......

 

[jpattillo]

Strep viridans is the bacteria that commonly causes endocarditis. It is not the same bacteria that is found in strep throat.

 

[Adrienne]

I am almost sure I contracted endocarditis (strep viridans) the first night in Rome after a night flight. I am not able to sleep sitting in a plane, so when I travel to Europe, I usually go about 33 hours without sleeping. The first night in Rome when I brushed my teeth, there was a bit of blood which was also on the pillow in the morning (very little, but it was there). When I got home two weeks later, I started having fever, terrible headaches and no energy. In any case, I think the lack of sleep contributed to making my immune system not as good as it usually is.

 

[johnp]

I spend a bit of time in the carib, and each trip a tremendous amount of that time in the water. I swim 1-2 miles in the ocean at least a few times a week, surf whenever I can, and snorkle the rest.

Never even thought about endo. hmm should I be worried?

I did feel sick last trip, one day, but that was because of too much rum. Seemed like a good idea at the time.