The dangers of wild swimming after a sewage spill, and how to stay safe

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Water companies have apologised for not “acting quickly enough” over sewage spills into English rivers and seas – of which there were more than 300,000 in 2022 But just how serious are the health risks of swimming in contaminated water? ⬇️ Explained

Its 2022 Water Quality report, which draws on self-reported data from app users, found that 39 per cent of sickness reports happened at a time of a confirmed sewage discharge notification. The most common illness reported was gastroenteritis, with two in three people reporting this; followed by ear, nose and throat infections; skin rashes; respiratory illnesses and urinary tract infections.

Symptoms vary depending on the type of bacteria or virus that you’re exposed to, explains Georgios Efthimiou, a professor in Microbiology at the Hull York Medical School, which can include bacteria such as E.coli, salmonella and parasites. “Ear, eye and urinary infections are typically the milder sicknesses, but if you swallow water containing E.coli, for example, it can cause severe diarrhoea and vomiting.

Also known as Weil’s disease, it’s spread through the urine of infected rats. Symptoms typically show up anywhere between days to a month after exposure and can include fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, muscle aches and red eyes. If left untreated, it can become very serious.

One case was reported to SAS last year by a user who went kayaking on the River Trent in October 2021. “I was hospitalised for four days with kidney and liver failure from Weil’s disease,” Sam says, adding that their doctor attributed the disease to time spent in the river.

Source: Healthcare Press (healthcarepress.net)

 

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