Fears over second Brixham cryptosporidium outbreak dispelled

A spate of recent illnesses in Brixham has led to fears over a second outbreak of cryptosporidium. But South West Water (SWW) says all its tests are negative for the waterborne bacteria. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has confirmed it is investigating the reports.

This week, concerns have been shared on the town's community Facebook page Brixham (Fish Town) about people becoming unwell.

In one post, a resident said their household, including their dogs, had come down with an 'awful bug' and said they had heard of people testing positive for cryptosporidium. Among the long list of comments, a holidaymaker said her family had tested positive following a stay in a holiday park in the town earlier this month.

A Brixham resident reported having the same same symptoms following the original outbreak in May which left some people in hospital and hundreds of others were ill after the contamination of the water supply by cryptosporidium, a parasite which causes sickness and diarrhoea.

Around 17,000 households and businesses in the Brixham area were issued with "boil water" notices by SWW after initially being assured the water was safe to drink. The notices remained in place for eight weeks for some households in the area.

Following the outbreak, SWW carried out extensive interventions to remove cryptosporidium from the water supply system and have continued to rigorously monitor the drinking water quality. Today, Friday, November 22, SWW has confirmed all its test results have come back negative.

A spokesperson for SWW said: "We know this is sensitive for people and we take any reports of sickness very seriously. We regularly test our water supply and we have enhanced procedures in place."

The UKHSA, which prevents, prepares for and responds to infectious diseases and environmental hazards, has reported 126 confirmed cases were linked to the outbreak in May. It has undertaken a cohort study to estimate the true number of cases, and the results will be published once the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) investigation is complete.

Any confirmed cases in the area continue to be typed in the national reference lab to check if there are any links between them or to the outbreak. GPs continue to test where clinically indicated for severe or prolonged diarrhoea, and anyone who is concerned about their symptoms is advised to seek advice from their GP.

It added that cryptosporidiosis is not an unusual infection and can be picked up from lots of different sources, and it is 'normal' to see sporadic cases in an area. However, it added it is not always possible to find out where an individual might have picked up the infection as cryptosporidium is commonly found in the environment.

It also advised that gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms are also common at this time of year and can be caused by a range of different pathogens.

Professor Dominic Mellon, regional deputy director for health protection, UKHSA South West said: “We cannot comment on individual cases, but UKHSA is actively investigating these reports with partners and the individuals affected.

"Cryptosporidiosis is a common infection and can be picked up from lots of different sources. It is normal to see sporadic cases around the country.

"When an individual tests positive for cryptosporidium, UKHSA works closely with its partners to take appropriate public health action where necessary."