HEALTH chiefs have issued a warning to Irish people heading on holidays to Spain over a "serious stomach bug" - as cases are on the rise. Health authorities have reported that there has been an alarming increase in tourists returning to Ireland with serious stomach problems, such as diarrhoea and vomiting. It is believed that it was caused by a contagious condition called cryptosporidiosis, a microscopic parasite that lives in the gut of infected humans.
Health chiefs noted that most of the cases have been reported from Irish tourists coming home from Salou in the Catalonia region in Spain . Under the travel alert issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs, they said: "There have been reports of increased levels of cryptosporidiosis, a potentially severe stomach bug, reported from areas of Spain, particularly Salou in Catalonia. "The HSE is advising people to take extra hygiene precautions when travelling in this area.
More information can be found on the HSE’s website." The infection can be spread by swallowing a contaminated object, drinking contaminated water or contaminated water from a swimming pool, jacuzzi, lake or river. It survives easily in water and does not get killed by chlorine, which is used to kill other biological organisms in drinking water.
But it can be removed from the water by using a filtration and ultraviolet light treatment, which kills Cryptosporidiosis oocysts. Another method is to boil your water as it is most likely to kill the parasite and other organism. The common symptoms of the Cryptosporidium infection are watery diarrhoea, stomach cramps, fever, nausea and vomiting.
In some cases, people may have no symptoms at all and still contain the infection. The symptoms usually begin two to 10 days after becoming infected, people in good health recover in one to two weeks. However, the infection can be serious for young children, elderly people and those who have weak immunity due to cancer treatment or those with HIV infection.
Cryptosporidium can be found in soil, water, food or surfaces that have been contaminated with animal or human faeces - it's more common in rural environments. To avoid contracting the infection, people are encouraged to wash their hands regularly with soap and clean water before consuming foods and drinks, cooking and washing after the toilet, hand contact with items in public and touching live animals. The health chiefs provided some tips to ensure their safety when it comes to water while on their holidays in Spain.
They are encouraged to check if the tap water is treated, ask the accommodation manager about the tap water, avoid drinking tap water if unsure and not use ice in their drinks as it may be used with different water that could not be treated. Do not enter the swimming pools, beaches or sea if it does not look clean and always shower after swimming in the pool or the sea to disinfect yourself from parasites and other organisms. If people are feeling unwell or having diarrhoea, they are encouraged to not enter the swimming pools for two days after the symptoms have settled.
However, bottled or canned drinks are generally safe due to their process and food/drink safety checks..
