I FEEL compelled to comment on the tragic death of the young student killed in a Kenya lake (Gazette, March 14).

Any visitor virtually to any part of Africa should take extreme caution before setting foot in any so-called fresh water lakes/rivers.

They can contain hippos, crocs, snakes or various parasitic diseases, perhaps the worst of which is bilharzias. This is caused by flukes/flatworks which can live in the blood of human beings and animals in tropical and subtropical countries. Larvae find their way into snails and when developed are released and can penetrate the skin of humans.

Lake Victoria is full of bilharzia and in my time in Africa it was very difficult to cure.

I swam in Lake Malawi and the northern end of Lake Tanzania 30 to 40 years ago when these were tourist areas.

The waters had been cleared of weeds where the snails were to be found. Today I would not risk it.

I see television programmes of tourists getting out of their cars in game parks, years back that was forbidden.

The animals are not domesticated but very much living in the wild.

BASIL DAVIE

Kennel Row

Netheravon