UK and Ireland blame Spanish swimming pools for increase in intestinal parasites
Tourists travelling to Spain have also been advised to check the air quality at their destination
Medical professionals across the UK and Ireland have been issuing warnings about an unusual upsurge in the number of tourists suffering from intestinal parasites after returning from holidays in Spain. In total, more than 600 cases of ‘Cryptoporidiosis’ have been registered, an infection commonly contracted in swimming pools and water parks.
What’s more, a huge number of visitors to Spain, particularly the popular Costa Blanca, have reported breathing problems because of the poor air quality in the area.
Professor Kelly, of Imperial College London, said: “Tourists can come up against airborne particles and noxious gases associated with ill health — even after short-term exposures.
“This is especially the case for vulnerable groups such as the young, the elderly and people with cardio-respiratory disease.”
Avanti’s Kelly Johnstone said: “It’s worth knowing which destinations might not be ideal.”
In relation to the stomach problems, “a continuous and unusual excess in the disease” has been detected between August 14 and October 1, according to scientific journal ‘Eurosurveillance’, and most cases “are related to international travel, especially to Spain and other Mediterranean countries.”
So far this year, as many as 2,940 cases of Cryptoporiodiosis have already been recorded - 121 of those infected have been admitted to hospitals – in the British, Welsh and Irish (North and South), according to the National Epidemiology Centre of Spain. This is a considerably high and unprecedented number, taking into account that last year there were not even a thousand cases registered.
In the opinion of experts, the surge in infections is largely due to the influx of Irish and British holidaymakers to Spain during September and October as a result of the unseasonably high temperatures. Of course, the UK continues to be one of Spain’s most important tourist markets: in August, the country welcomed two million visitors from Britain, 20.1% of the total.
Image: Freepik
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