Marsh hiking

@payette78 & @dstella - It becomes a question of what we know, and what our personal risk tolerance is.

We know marshes, whether fresh water or brackish, tend to harbor a lot of NTM. We know that with Bronchiectasis and/or MAC we should avoid sources of concentrated bacteria. Thus we know that repeated, unprotected exposure is a risky activity. I know my tolerance for taking risks is higher than most people, but I don't know yours.

Given all of that, what would I do? If I was on a trip or excursion that included a one time hike near a marsh, I would wear a new N-95 mask and discard it at the end of the outing. If it was a marsh near my home (I have a couple) I would choose a safer path.

Thanks Sue. I appreciate the thoughtful input. I am not much of a risk taker right now so i will sadly stay away. The marsh in question used to be a favorite place to go in spring to see baby ducks and Canada goslings. I have some nice photos from past springs, so that will have to do for now.

It sounds like a lovely place. I probably would go for an easy stroll there, but limit the time to 30-60 min and the number of days/week. You won’t be near the surface and limiting time would also reduce exposure.
Wearing a mask and glasses would further reduce it.

I guess I’m always looking for a middle ground between risks and benefits. Seeing ducklings would be a big mental benefit for me.

I’m finding it so difficult trying to decide what I should avoid or change in order to protect myself. Every summer we stay at a house on a marsh in New Jersey for two weeks. Now I’m not sure I should be staying there at all. I never thought about it before.

Thanks Sue. I appreciate the thoughtful input. I am not much of a risk taker right now so i will sadly stay away. The marsh in question used to be a favorite place to go in spring to see baby ducks and Canada goslings. I have some nice photos from past springs, so that will have to do for now.

I’m finding it so difficult trying to decide what I should avoid or change in order to protect myself. Every summer we stay at a house on a marsh in New Jersey for two weeks. Now I’m not sure I should be staying there at all. I never thought about it before.

If you ask Dr Falkenham how risky it is in an email, he’d let you know. I did that about white water rafting. He didn’t say go/don’t go, but explained that water that has just run thru tree roots probably has increased MAC. I’ll do the family day trip and avoid seats that take more spray.

Like @pacathy, I would wear a mask and go. I still visit the resacas (backwaters) in our local birding parks, we just try to choose a calm day, and rather than having our snack in the bird blind we hike to the picnic area. I also feed the backyard birds, wearing gloves and mask while cleaning and filling feeders and birdbath.