Unusual Medical Condition

[Sammy]

My girlfriend and I were in Key Largo, Fla as Ike hit Cuba and a week after Hanna passed through. After swimming in the bay, salt water probably of poor quality due to outdated sewage systems in area, everything she touched or came into contact with turned pink, her clothes, the gelcoat, my clothes where we rubbed together, everything. There was no pain, itching or discomfort. We ruled out that she swam through something since we were snorkling side by side and it didn't affect me. also we only swam that one day due to the weather form Ike and even after repeated showers everything still turned pink. It went away as quickly as it came on and after we were able to go snorkling again it didn't recur. she also came down with what they believe to be pnomonia (sorry I can't spell) and is in the hospital. I have heard about strange diseases in the tropics and since she lives in Kentucky they may not be aware of these ailments.

Anybody heard of anything like this before?

[MMNETSEA]

Hello Sammy,

Hard to come up with a definitive answer as to what you were swimming in - a possible but not unlikely occurrence is a "Red Tide" check this LINK

If your girl friend inhaled any of this bloom, it could be the cause of her pneumonia diagnosis.

The toxins released in these red tides are also dangerous to all forms of sea life.

You might like to contact the the Marine Conservation Biology Institute , here is their web Site they will be able to confirm the occurrence of a Red Tide in Key Largo's waters during the period you spent there.

Here is another Florida Institute that has information on Red Tides (or Algal Blooms) click HERE

Richard

[manor]

Hi Sammy

I am no expert and this is certainly not the forum to offer medical advice to any extent. However, there is another possibility - Chromphidrosis and/or Pseudochromhidrosis.

See: http://www.dermatologyreview.org/journal/chromo.pdf

I am sure that her doctors would of considered this from the symptoms described to them by your girlfriend. Discuss this with the doctors - they will know best.

I am not a doctor - this is simply a suggestion (as the one above) to follow up on.

Good luck.

[islandseeker]

Hello, have they checked for a Staph infection? My dockmaster ended up with what appeared to be Pneumonia after inhaling a little bilge water, (how? I don't know). From what he told me it was pretty serious and required a special treatment. I just looked for him to get the proper name of the perticular strain, he is out at present but will return here soon. I will get the info to you as soon as possible, if her condition is getting worse, ask if they have tested for Staph...Good luck and I will send you the info asap...

Steve

[islandseeker]

Originally Posted by islandseeker

Hello, have they checked for a Staph infection? My dockmaster ended up with what appeared to be Pneumonia after inhaling a little bilge water, (how? I don't know). From what he told me it was pretty serious and required a special treatment. I just looked for him to get the proper name of the perticular strain, he is out at present but will return here soon. I will get the info to you as soon as possible, if her condition is getting worse, ask if they have tested for Staph...Good luck and I will send you the info asap...

Steve

Sorry, I made a mistake...It was not a staff infection. That was a friend with skin leisions from the water.

What my friend got that caused pneumonia like symptoms was called " EMPYEMA" (not sure on the spelling). He started with pneumonia like symptoms then his lung collapsed...It is diagnosed in people like surfers, and snorkelers...(people who inhale sea water). Good luck

EMPYEMA is a lung infection and pernounced like EM- PIE- EEMA

Steve

[MMNETSEA]

Steve,

Guess inhaling bilge water would be a lot worse than inhaling sea water !

Emphysema : pulmonary disorder characterized by overdistention and destruction of the air spaces in the lungs.

[islandseeker]

Originally Posted by MMNETSEA

Steve,

Guess inhaling bilge water would be a lot worse than inhaling sea water !

Emphysema : pulmonary disorder characterized by overdistention and destruction of the air spaces in the lungs.

Yea, I'll have to ask him what he was doing swimming in the bilge...LOL! Bet it tastes good too! Yuck.. Steve

[Peter Owen]

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

An empyema is a collection of pus within a naturally existing anatomical cavity. It must be differentiated from an abscess, which is a collection of pus in a newly formed cavity.

In human medicine, empyema occurs in:

the pleural cavity (pleural empyema)

the uterus (pyometra)

the appendix (appendicitis)

the meninges (subdural empyema)

the joints (septic arthritis)

the gallbladder

Not nice, not nice at all!

[Sammy]

Thanks for the help.

She is home from the hospital and doing fine. I am leaning towards the chromotosis or whatever it's called. We ate a lot of food that she hasn't tried before and it was probably some spice or sauce. I was kidding her when it happened that the healthy food we had at a Korean restaurant was probably driving the toxins out of her body, maybe that wasn't too far from the truth. She is going to ask her doctor to check it out when she goes for her next checkup.

Thanks again,

Sam