Perhaps the hands just being exposed to water all the time has a lot to do with it. I've gotten my hands wet off and on, and being out in the wind (especially cold weather) causes them to become dry and chapped. I have even seen little cracks develop in the skin of my hands. It is a feeling of burning and itching.
I am not saying this is the condition being discussed on here. I just thought it interesting enough to offer this information. ----- Original Message ----- From: Wayne Fugitt To: [email protected] Sent: Friday, September 06, 2002 11:06 AM Subject: CS>Weird skin infections? Fishermen ? Morning James, Maybe it is not a pathogen, but an allergic reaction to fish stuff. Do all workers get it, or only some of them? Maybe it is not the fish but the water. Has anyone looked into that? A lot of things are happening when one keeps his hands wet all the time. The cell walls will weaken and break. Any bacteria has an open door. Bacteria cannot penetrate a healthy cell wall, or a dry cell. When the skin stays wet for extended periods, natures defenses have been destroyed. If we had any old commercial fishermen on the list, they would have chimed in by now. While I have not lived the life of a commercial fisherman, I did in fact work on a shrimp boat one summer. The guys I was working with had many years experience and wisdom to draw from. We did in fact have trouble with our hands from time to time. Of course the salt water was more harsh and toxic than fresh water.
