SICK TO THE STOMACH Urgent ‘don’t drink water’ warning in town as hundreds suddenly fall sick with ‘worst illness ever’
HUNDREDS are sick in a town as an urgent warning was issued to residents to boil water after a waterborne parasite was found in the supply.
People are experiencing grim symptoms including watery diarrhoea, stomach pains, nausea or vomiting, a mild fever, and loss of appetite.
The UK Health Security Agency are investigating 22 cases of cryptosporidium in South Devon - with hundreds more feared ill.
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Residents across Brixham, Boohay, Kingswear, Roseland and North East Paignton must boil their tap water, South West Water (SWW) said.
The UK Health Security Agency said it was working with Torbay Council, SWW, NHS Devon and the Environment Agency to investigate the cases.
A further 70 suspected incidents have been reported in Brixham as lorries were filmed bringing bottled water to the stricken fishing town amid reports of panic buying bottled water in supermarkets.
SWW had previously said tests on drinking water quality returned clear results but on Wednesday were "investigating the source" of the contamination.
Resident Tanya Matthews, who lives in the Ocean View area, said every household on her street is displaying symptoms of the bug.
She told DevonLive: "I started having stomach cramps and explosive diarrhoea nine days ago and it has been the same every day since."I started to feel a little bit better yesterday then today [May 14] it hit me again."
Cryptosporidium is a parasite that can live in the intestines and faeces of infected humans and animals.It can spread through swimming in or consuming contaminated water, but can also be passed on in food.
One person who wanted to remain anonymous thought they had norovirus, adding: "But as it went on for so long, I had to contact the doctors.
"It's the worst illness I've ever experienced.
"I sent off a stool sample which came back as cryptosporidium which I had never heard off until I saw the post on Brixham Fish Town."
Anyone can get cryptosporidiosis, but it is most common in children aged between one and five, according to the NHS.
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.
People who care for, or work with kids are more at risk than others.
There is no specific treatment for the bug, but sufferers are advised to drink plenty of fluids and re-hydrate.
South West Water confirmed on Wednesday that customers hit with a Boil Water Notice will be given an automatic £15 as a result of "interrupted" services.
PANIC BUYING
Clare, who owns Casa Nostra Italian in Brixham, says she's lost nearly all her covers amid the contaminated water chaos.
And she said panic buying has seen the shelves of all the local supermarkets cleared of bottled water.
The proprietor told The Sun: "I was near enough fully booked, we trade three days a week. So many have cancelled. I've only got a table of five left.
"Roughly lost a grand, grand a half a night. When you're getting billed £2,000 for electricity a month, it's worrying.
"No-one has approached any businesses or said has this affected you. I know it has."
She added: "They don't have any water because everyone is panic buying.
"Iceland has not even one bottle of water. The one in Paignton, absolutely no water. Tesco has no water. Not one bottle.
"Local Co-Op nothing. I walked all the way to the Spar on Fore Street and they don't have any either."
Clare reckons the bug has been in Brixham "for weeks" after she was hospitalised on April 3 and her husband left severely ill just two weeks ago.
They don't have any water because everyone is panic buying
She said: "I think it is a lot more widespread than what they are saying."
At Brixham Greengrocer, manager ‘Bash’ said worried customers have been asking him whether his produce is washed in tap water and even if he can order supplies of water to sell.
He said: “Fortunately what we sell is fresh and we don’t wash it in store.
"I live in Brixham and we are boiling water before we drink it, we also have a filter.”
KIDS IN HOSPITAL
Kayley Lewis, who also lives on Ocean Drive, said her eldest son Jacob was hospitalised overnight on May 5 with severe dehydration.
She explained: "I then started to feel unwell on May 6 and had awful stomach pains and watery diarrhoea lasting six days."
Her other son Oscar has had similar symptoms while youngest Daisy has only experienced tummy cramps, Kayley said.
It is not the first time a spike in cryptospordium has swept Britain.
Last year, a record 367 cases of the nasty bug were recorded during the week ending October 2.
A spokesperson from South West Water previously said: "We are aware of posts on social media regarding the quality of drinking water in the Brixham area and we would like to reassure customers that the water supply is fine to continue to use as normal."We have carried out sampling and tests for cryptosporidium and all results have come back clear.
"We always carefully monitor our drinking water supplies and we are supporting the UK Health Security Agency with their investigations."
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