Athletes Falling Ill After Swimming in the Seine: E. Coli is the Least of Concerns in Those Filthy Waters Teeming with Rats
- ByMartina Girardo --
- 2024-08-05 13:01:57 --
- 0 Comments --
- FRA
The fears about the water quality of the Seine have proven to be well-founded. With the withdrawal of two Swiss triathlon team athletes due to gastroenteritis, and the withdrawal of the entire Belgian mixed relay team after team member Claire Michel, 35, fell ill, there is no doubt: the Seine may be too polluted and could jeopardize the health of its athletes.
A Dire Situation Unfolding
"The Belgian triathlon athlete seems to have contracted the infection in the Seine," confirms Giovanni Rezza, professor of Hygiene and Public Health at the Vita-Salute San Raffaele University in Milan and former Director General of Health Prevention at the Ministry of Health. "The origin of the gastroenteritis contracted by the other two athletes is uncertain: it could also be a case of food poisoning, which in any case does not bode well, given the environmental conditions of the Olympic village, where the poor functioning of the air conditioning has forced our swimmer Ceccon to sleep outdoors," he adds.
Athlete Claire Michel has been hospitalized for four days with stomach and intestinal problems due to Escherichia coli contamination, most likely contracted during the individual race. In a statement, the Belgian Olympic Committee (COIB) and Belgian Triathlon announced that "the 'Belgian Hammers' will not start in the mixed relay of the Paris Olympic Games. The decision, like this communication, was made after consulting the athletes and their entourage. Claire Michel, a member of the relay, is unfortunately ill and must withdraw from the competition. Members of the COIB and the World Triathlon Athletes Commission are engaged in continuously evaluating and improving the conditions for the athletes. We hope that lessons will be drawn for the next triathlon events at the Olympic Games. We are thinking about the guarantee of training days, competition days and the format of the competitions, which must be clarified in advance and ensure that there are no uncertainties for the athletes, the entourage and the supporters." The understandably upset Michel posted a story on Instagram in which she writes: "Thank you for all the nice messages you have sent me. I have been well cared for and will recover. But I am really devastated for the team and I'm sorry to finish the Games this way."
"Today, Louis Pasteur, the father of modern microbiology, is turning in his grave," indignantly posted on X Matteo Bassetti, director of the Infectious Diseases Unit at the San Martino Hospital in Genoa. "Having athletes swim in the Seine has set the world back 100 years," he adds.
The bacterium responsible for Claire Michel's withdrawal would be Escherichia coli. Some strains of this bacterium cause intestinal diseases of varying severity, which can manifest with abdominal pain, vomiting, bloody diarrhea, and extra-intestinal infections, such as urinary tract infections, peritonitis, sepsis, pneumonia, and meningitis. Escherichia coli infection, which can come from contaminated water or food, can be very dangerous, especially for young children and the elderly, who can develop a life-threatening form of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome.
A Veritable Minefield of Pathogens
"The level of Escherichia coli is used as an indicator of fecal contamination, so one cannot rule out that the germ in question is another bacterium or an enterovirus," explains Rezza. "Escherichia coli, in general, causes nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and can cause fever," he adds. Serious cases, such as sepsis, are rarer. "Naturally, the level of Escherichia coli in the river's waters is measured every day, but the Seine runs through the entire city and the sources of contamination are multiple, so the level of contamination could fluctuate even faster than expected, and it seems to me a gamble to take a dip in a river that runs through an urban setting. The idea may be there, but it doesn't seem to me that at the London Olympics the races were held in the Thames!"
Less "diplomatic," Bassetti emphasizes that "in the end, E. coli is the least of the infectious problems that can be contracted in the Seine." He continues: "In those 'putrid waters, populated by rats and who knows what other animal,' you can also make some pretty serious encounters." From leptospirosis to salmonella, shigella, and yersinia, Bassetti lists the bacterial traps. "Not to mention all the protozoa or other parasites that can come through the water: from amoeba to giardia," he adds. The dangers are really numerous, and the symptoms can also be quite serious. "They can range from stomach ache, diarrhea, and vomiting to high fever - describes the director of Infectious Diseases at the Genoese IRCCS - up to more important, even very serious, manifestations affecting some organs." For Bassetti, "it is really incomprehensible how one could have allowed athletes to swim in such a polluted river that represents a health risk for them," despite the scientific community having clearly warned the organizers of the potential risks.
The article "Are Athletes Getting Sick After Swimming in the Seine? E. Coli is the Least of the Problems You Can Get in Those Filthy Waters Teeming with Rats" is from Il Fatto Quotidiano.
Conclusion
The decision to hold swimming events in the Seine during the 2024 Paris Olympics has been heavily criticized, and the recent illnesses of athletes have only served to validate those concerns. Escherichia coli may be the most immediate concern, but the river is teeming with a veritable minefield of potential pathogens that could pose grave risks to the health of the athletes. The organizers must take heed of the warnings from the scientific community and find a safer alternative venue to protect the wellbeing of the competitors.