Gran, 80, hospitalised with vomiting in dirty water crisis ‘sparked by animal waste’ as families face WEEKS of chaos
A GRANDMOTHER has been hospitalised after drinking water containing cryptosporidium amid a crisis with hundreds of people ill.
Elaine Hollier, 80, from Brixham, Devon, was rushed to hospital by paramedics on Saturday 11 May, after suffering severe dehydration and vomiting for two weeks.
It comes amid a dirty water crisis in the county with hotel closures after hundreds were struck down by a diarrhoea bug - and they could be ill for a month.
The UK Health Security Agency is investigating 22 cases of cryptosporidium in South Devon - with hundreds more feared ill.
Dozens of locals and holidaymakers reported experiencing grim symptoms like watery diarrhoea, stomach pains, nausea or vomiting, a mild fever, and loss of appetite.
RESERVOIR 'TO BE DRAINED'
The underground reservoir at Hillhead may have to be completely drained and locals are having to stock up on alternative sources of water for weeks.
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Residents formed massive queues to collect emergency bottled water from nearby Broadsands car park.
Elaine's husband of 60 years Dennis Hollier said: “She was absolutely diabolical. For four days I was trying to help her but I got so worried I phoned 111.
How to tell if you've picked up cryptosporidium - plus, steps to avoid it
HUNDREDS of people in Devon have been struck down by a parasite that infiltrated the water supply.
The bug, cryptosporidium, commonly known as 'crypto,' can infect the digestive systems of both animals and people.
Most people recover, but some can become seriously ill, such as very young children and those with particularly weak immune systems.
What are the symptoms?
- Profuse watery diarrhoea
- Stomach pains
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Low-grade fever
- Loss of appetite
- Dehydration
- Weight loss
Symptoms usually last about two weeks but can be longer, especially in people with weak immune systems.
During the illness, you might think you are getting better and have shaken off the infection, but then it returns a couple of days later before you fully recover.
Take the following steps to protect yourself from the illness
The advice to people living in the affected area is to boil your drinking water and drink plenty to prevent becoming dehydrated – and stay away at home until it’s subsided.
Beyond the current outbreak, crypto can also be caught in lakes and swimming pools and contact with animal manure.
Therefore, you should always avoid swallowing water in lakes and swimming pools.
Catching it from animals is usually the most common way people become unwell, with a spike coming in spring when farms hold open days.
You should always wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water after working with, feeding, grooming or playing with pets and other animals.
How do I treat the illness?
There is no specific treatment for cryptosporidiosis.
Most people with a healthy immune system will recover within one month.
It’s important to drink plenty of fluids as diarrhoea or vomiting can lead to dehydration and you can lose important sugars and minerals from your body.
Cryptosporidiosis is highly infectious, so you need to be very clean around your home for at least 48 hours after your symptoms stop, so don't return to work or school until that time has passed, don't share towels or bedding and don't prepare food for others.
You are infectious to other people while you are ill and have symptom
“The hospital didn’t know how to treat her because they didn’t know what was infecting her. She had severe stomach pains and could hardly talk because she was so dehydrated."
“As soon as they confirmed there was a bug in the water the doctors said ‘we know how to treat you now’.
“I have been worried sick, I was even told to stay away from the hospital because they didn’t know what it was.
“I phoned up South West Water to tell them what happened but they said you can carry on drinking the water. I know 10 people at least who have come down with it.
“It has been so upsetting to see my wife in a hospital bed with tubes sticking out of her arms for antibiotics. She’s got no appetite and no energy. I was dead worried for myself too because they didn’t have a clue.”
Mr Hollier says he also suffered symptoms but had a "lucky escape"; because he drinks less water than his wife, they both initially thought an undercooked sausage had made them ill.
He saw workmen at the Hillhead Reservoir pumping station a week ago and at the time thought nothing of it but now suspects the work may have been linked to the outbreak.
He added: “It’s a disgrace, doctors say she could take a month to recover.
"She is going to write to South West Water to say you put me in hospital. I think whoever is responsible needs sacking and the water company needs to explain what they knew and when because I don’t think we have been told the whole truth.”
'DAMAGED AIR VALVE'
Anthony Mangnall MP, whose Totnes constituency includes impacted Brixham, said the chaos may have been sparked by a "damaged air valve".
This "may have allowed animal waste or contaminated groundwater to enter the local supply", he said.
The Conservative wrote on Facebook: "I have just attended a meeting convened by the Secretary of State for Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)to receive an update from South West Water...
"And the UK Health Security Agency SWW believe they have located the source of the issue and initiated a fix...
"But are continuing their investigations and will be testing their network to ensure water is safe."
Asked what the source of the problem was, he told a member of the public: "A damaged air valve in the Hillhead area, which may have allowed animal waste or contaminated ground water to enter the local supply."
South West Water's latest statement:
Customers in Alston and the Hillhead area of Brixham are advised to boil their drinking water before consuming following new test results for cryptosporidium.
We are issuing this notice following small traces of the organism identified overnight and this morning.
We are working with the UK Health Security Agency and other public health partners to urgently investigate and eliminate the source.
We apologise for the inconvenience caused and will continue to keep customers and businesses updated.
Bottled water stations will be set up in the affected areas as soon as possible.
Locals living near the Hillhead Reservoir say they have been warned by South West Water workers they will have to be switched onto alternative sources of water while the reservoir – which serves around 40,000 homes – is emptied.
This afternoon, around a dozen vans from South West Water were lined up outside a pumping station where the outbreak is believed to have been detected earlier this week.
'WE HAVE BEEN ILL FOR WEEKS'
One local, James Martins, said: “We have been ill for weeks with vomiting, diarrhoea and headaches. We are still feeling bad on an off.
“My understanding is it will be days or weeks before the reservoir is fully drained and in the meantime we have to boil our water.
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“It has not been handled well by South West Water but all the staff we have dealt with have been wonderful, I think it’s higher up the chain where the problems are."
One Brixham resident who queued for 15 minutes to collect bottled water said: “I am furious this has happened. Water rates are incredibly expensive and now we are told we can’t even drink it. I think the bosses who take such huge salaries should come down here and explain to us how things have gone so wrong.”
Take steps to protect you and your family
By Lizzie Parry, Head of Health
ANYONE who's had a bout of norovirus will know how miserable a tummy bug can be.
In this case, the cause appears to be the Cryptosporidium parasite, a tiny organism that causes an illness known as cryptosporidiosis.
The bug can be found in the intestines and poo of infected humans and animals.
Anyone can fall sick but it's most common in kids aged between one and five.
Other people at high risk include people who work with animals, people exposed to human faeces (parents changing nappies), and people who swim in open water.
That's because you catch the bug from an infected person or animal by coming into contact with their faeces.
Other sources of infection include drinking or swimming in contaminated water, eating contaminated fresh food (unwashed or unpeeled veg or salads) and drinking contaminated raw milk.
Like norovirus, the symptoms can be really unpleasant, watery diarrhoea, stomach pains, nausea or vomiting, fever and a loss of appetite, which can lead to dehydration.
Symptoms tend to last for about two weeks but can ease off and reappear in that time.
The only way to know for sure if you've been infected - and to tell it from other tummy bugs - is to ask the doctor to test a stool sample.
Like other infectious bugs, there are things you can do to protect yourself and your family.
First and foremost, wash your hands thoroughly with warm soap and water before handling any food, after preparing raw food, after going to the loo or changing a baby's nappy and after playing with, or looking after any animals - including your pets.
And if you, or a member of your family, catches the bug make sure you wash all dirty bedding and towels, avoid sharing towels, clean all bathrooms and avoid preparing food for others until you've been symptom-free for at least 48 hours.
It goes without saying that if you have symptoms avoid going into work or taking your children to school until you've been symptom-free for 48 hours too.
There's no specific treatment, but most healthy people will recover within a month. The NHS notes it is important to drink lots of fluids to avoid dehydration.
If you are worried about your child, or you can't seem to shrug off the bug it's worth speaking to your GP - try filling out an online consultation form.