UK Public Health Officials Bracing For Norovirus Spike When Floods Finally Recede
Public health chiefs are braced for a surge in cases of diarrhoea, vomiting and stomach pain caused by bugs in floodwater as sewage spills out of overflowing drains. One expert predicted “a big spike in diarrhoea” in the coming days but said the outbreak of illness would be “unpleasant but not deadly”.
Floodwater could contain E.coli, salmonella and campylobacter bacteria as animal waste becomes mixed with storm waters, while human sewage could spread the winter vomiting bug norovirus.
People in areas with flooding are being warned to wash their hands regularly, particularly before eating, and to dress open wounds. Once the waters have receded, they have been urged to ensure their homes are thoroughly dried out as bacteria thrives in damp conditions. Tonight Jeremy Hunt, the Health Secretary, attended a meeting of the Whitehall emergency committee Cobra amid warnings that the flooding could spread gastro-intestinal disease.
Dr Ben Neuman, microbiologist from the University of Reading, said he last week tested water around a flooded house in the Somerset Levels. The water was carrying much higher levels of bacteria than normal, Dr Neuman said, describing it as the equivalent of dissolving a couple of teaspoons of horse manure in an office water cooler.
EDIT
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/uk-weather-contaminated-floodwaters-could-lead-to-norovirus-spike-9124549.html
= new reply since forum marked as read
> The water was carrying much higher levels of bacteria than normal, Dr Neuman said, describing it
> as the equivalent of dissolving a couple of teaspoons of horse manure in an office water cooler.
