Q: A co-worker of mine is having a terrible time because she evidently caught an infection from being stuck with thorn from a rose bush she was moving. She had a place on her leg that wouldn’t heal, then after a series of antibiotics that were not effective, she had to have a port put in her arm so she can have a daily dose of some medication thru an IV for 6 weeks! This has been going on all summer — she has really had a bad time of trying to get healed…..could this really be the reason for this? It’s hard to believe you can ‘catch’ something from a rose bush.

A: Theresa Schrum at EcoTerra Landscape replies “Absolutely! You can catch a disease known as Rose Thorn Disease, which is caused by a fungus not a bacterium. It is so well known among rosarians that it’s published on the American Rose Society web site:

ARS Sporotrichosis

See also Sporotrichosis

Most folks recover, but it’s a slow process.