Tag Archives: Mud

Mudguards reduce barfing in cycling events

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Amy and I brought a couple of U.S. bicycles with us – and a bag full of skates and kid’s hockey equipment – when we returned to Brisbane.

We may be biking more, but won’t be entering any off-road races (that’s Amy on her previous bike, left, in Kansas, and below, right, today, both not exactly as shown).

Those who do, know there have been race-related outbreaks of Campylobacter and other bugs throughout the world, probably due to biking wizozwiththrough mud and crap on paths that may have been used by livestock or contaminated via runoff.

Mud guards apparently work.

Norwegian researchers report in Epidemiol. Infect. (2013), 141, 517–523, that in 2009, following a bike race, a gastrointestinal illness outbreak affected many participants.

A cohort study showed an attack rate of 16.3% with the main risk factor being mud splashes to the face. Considering these findings, in 2010 recommendations to participants in the bike race were issued and environmental control measures were implemented. In 2010, a retrospective cohort study using web-based questionnaires was conducted to measure the use of preventive measures and to assess risk factors associated with gastrointestinal illness. A 69% response rate was achieved and 11721 records Eva Sizzles for Bebe Sportanalysed, with 572 (attack rate 4.9%) matching the case definition, i.e. participants reporting diarrhoea within 10 days of race. There was a clear increase in the use of mudguards (96.7% reported access to/receiving information on preventive measures) and a significant decrease in gastrointestinal illness. This may indicate that the measures have been effective and should be considered, both in terms of environmental control measures as well as individual measures.

Maybe it was the Arctic Enema? UK Tough Mudder race linked to at least three E. coli O157 cases

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In preparation for a legendary Raleigh event, the Krispy Kreme Challenge, I started running last fall. The challenge is to run 2.5 miles, eat a dozen donuts, and then run an another 2.5 miles. All under an hour. I finished in 1hr 6min (and I didn’t barf). I ran with a few guys from my hockey team – and now a couple of them are moving on to another endurance event, The Tough Mudder in South Carolina.

From the organizer’s website, "Tough Mudder events are hardcore 10-12 mile obstacle courses designed by British Special Forces to test your all around strength, stamina, mental grit, and camaraderie.

Triathlons, marathons, and other lame-ass mud runs are more stressful than fun. Not Tough Mudder. As hardcore as our courses are, we meet you at the finish line with a beer, a laugh, and a rockin’ live band."

The site lists a set of obstacles with names like Arctic Enema, Dirty Ballerina and Kiss of Mud.

According to BBC, a Tough Mudder event last month in Scotland was linked to at least three cases of E. coli O157.

The trio developed symptoms in the days following the Tough Mudder event, which attracted almost 6,000 competitors to Drumlanrig Castle on 14 and 15 July.

Many of the assault course-style obstacles on the 12-mile run involved immersion in, or contact with, mud.

Health Protection Scotland (HPS) said that, even more than three weeks after the event, further cases could not be ruled out.

HPS added: "If local authorities are made aware that such events are being planned, they would normally advise the organisers on any potential risks, which might for instance include the risk of mud being contaminated with animal faeces or slurry.

"This underlines the importance of event organisers liaising with local authorities during the planning stage, not least to consider what information participants need in order to enjoy ‘extreme’ activities as safely as possible."

 

Limiting barf in bike races

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This would be a stirring endorsement for the Yosemite Sam mudflap industry if they existed for bikes.

But mudguards are readily available and are being touted by Norwegian and Swedish researchers as a way to reduce the risk of gastroenteritis related to bicycle races over courses with animal feces and mud.

The researchers write that Birkebeinerrittet is one of the world’s largest mountain bike races, taking place every year in the mountains in the southeast of Norway. The track is 95 km and around 19,000 participants are expected each year, divided into two races on consecutive days.

The Birkebeinerrittet track crosses an area where many grazing animals are present. Feces from grazing animals can contain enteropathogens and in wet and muddy conditions, mud splashes to the face during cycling may cause infection.

In 2009, the race took place under severe weather conditions, with heavy rainfall during the previous days. That year, an outbreak of gastrointestinal illness affected an estimated 3,800 participants, resulting in one of the largest diarrheal outbreaks in Norway, with significant media coverage and a heavy socioeconomic toll (more than 2500 days of absence from work). A retrospective
cohort study using web-based questionnaires was performed after the race in order to identify any potential common sources. No single food or drink item was identified as the source; however, mud splashes to the face were associated with gastrointestinal illness.

The study also showed that spitting out the first sip when drinking from a bottle or ‘camelbak’ and using mudguards had some protective effect.

Based on the findings from the 2009 study, the organizers recommended that the participants use mudguards and spit out the first sip of water from drinking bottles during the race in 2010. They also implemented environmental control measures, by draining parts of the track and spreading gravel in the sareas more prone to get muddy, and asking sheepowners to gather their animals earlier than the previous year, so fewer animals were close to the tracks.

In 2010 around 19,000 people registered to take part in the races that took place on 27–28 August. Although slightly colder, weather conditions were similar to the previous year. The average temperature was 13.1 C in 2009 and 10.1 C in 2010. Rainfall during the 5 days preceding the races was 43.7 mm in 2009 and 36.6 mm in 2010.

A retrospective cohort study using web-based questionnaires was conducted to measure the use of preventive measures and to assess risk factors associated with gastrointestinal illness. A 69% response rate was achieved and 11,721 records analyzed, with 572 (attack rate 4.9%) matching the case definition, i.e. participants reporting diarrhea within 10 days of race. There was a clear increase in the use of mudguards (96.7% reported access to/receiving information on preventive measures) and a significant decrease in gastrointestinal illness. This may indicate that the measures have been effective and should be considered, both in terms of environmental control measures as well as individual measures.

The complete abstract and paper are available from Epidemiology and Infection at http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=8577676

RocknRolla: Don’t play in animal poop – at music festivals or elsewhere

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In June 1997, at least seven people who attended the Glastonbury Music Festival in the U.K. were infected with Escherichia coli O157. A cow belonging to a herd that had previously grazed the site tested positive for the same strain, leading researchers to conclude the most likely vehicle of infection was mud contaminated with Escherichia coli O157 from infected cattle.

??In June 2007, hundreds were stricken and 18 tested positive for campylobacter during the annual Test of Metal mountain bike race in Squamish, B.C.?? Dr. Paul Martiquet, the chief medical officer for Vancouver Coastal Health, said, "This was an outbreak with a high attack rate. Our future advice to the race organizers is to inspect the route prior to the race to ensure it is not littered with animal feces, and not end the race at the horse ring. If there is any horse poop, they have to remove it."

Up to 160 people who attended the Merida Bikes mountain bike Marathon July 5-6, 2008, based on Builth Wells, in Wales, fell ill, and 10 of the riders tested positive for campylobacter. The report described the course as,??“very muddy and contaminated with sheep slurry in certain areas, leading to significant amounts of mud splashing over participants and their equipment. … The most statistically significant risk was the inadvertent ingestion of mud.

So yesterday, the U.K. Health Protection Agency decided to remind Glastonbury goers not to play in animal poop.

Dr Mark Salter, a consultant in communicable disease control from the HPA’s Health Protection Unit in the South West has been attending festivals, including Glastonbury, for 20 years to offer health protection advice and has devised the following rock and roll tips to help people to stay safe.

If you become unwell, particularly with diarrhoea and sickness, before the festival don’t go as you could spread your illness to other people.

Make sure you use condoms with any new partners to protect yourself against any sexually transmitted infections. In 2010 there were over 200,000 cases of chlamydia, genital warts, syphilis, gonorrhoea and herpes in the 15-24 year old age group in England.

If you have to take medication for an existing condition make sure you take it with you as well as enough to last the duration of the festival.

Avoid using streams and rivers for bathing or cooling off as the water quality may not be suitable.

Don’t forget to wash your hands thoroughly after using the toilet, before eating and prior to preparing food. It is preferable to use soap and water but if that is not available then sanitising hand gel is a good substitute – bring your own and carry it around with you.

"My experience of providing health advice and assistance at festivals for over 20 years tells me that people generally end up being unwell due to the combination of too much alcohol, drugs, sex and less than ideal hygiene.”

Stricken with E. coli, girl fighting

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A 5-year-old girl remains hospitalized in the Louisiana Health Sciences Center-Shreveport’s pediatric intensive care unit more than two weeks after contracting E. coli O157 while attending a party in Richland Parish.

Tom Sumrall, the girl’s grandfather, said as many as 15 children were sickened following an end-of-the-year Ouachita Christian School party last month on a farm between Start and Rayville.

OCS headmaster Bobby Stokes said the party was not put on by the school.

At least three children were hospitalized. A young boy was released from a Jackson, Miss., hospital last week and a young girl was released from LSU Health Sciences Center-Shreveport Thursday, Sumrall said.

Dr. Shelley Jones, the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals Region 8 director, suspects the children contracted the E. coli while playing in a mud pit. It was likely transmitted from the infected fecal matter of a cow.

"We do know based on preliminary analysis that the children who played in the mud pit more than five minutes were more likely to have symptoms," Jones said.

"But the state lab is unable to do environmental testing, so we’re probably not going to know definitively."

John Cooper, the 5-year-old girl’s father, said his daughter remains on dialysis and was just removed from a venilator on Thursday. Cooper said both of his daughter’s lungs collapsed.

Mud with sheep poop sickens mountain bikers

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Hundreds of mountain bikers competing in separate races in British Columbia and Wales in the past year were stricken by campylobacter, apparently from contact with feces-laden mud.

Now, the National Public Health Service for Wales (NPHS) and Environmental Health officers at Powys County Council have concluded the Welsh outbreak was probably caused by campylobacter, spread to the cyclists by mud which was contaminated with sheep feces.

The report acknowledged that, given the nature of mountain bike events, it would be impossible to eliminate the risk of catching such an infection, but made the following recommendations:

* Participants should avoid using soiled drink and food containers
* Pre-packaged food should be eaten out of the wrapper
* Where possible, hands and utensils should be washed before consuming food and drinks
* No open food should be served at events.
* Drinks produced in large volumes for consumption by participants should be dispensed using a method which does not require the repeated immersion of utensils.
* Organisers should consider providing facilities to wash hands and water bottles with clean, running water
* Wherever possible, courses should be re-routed to avoid areas which are heavily contaminated with animal faeces
* Mountain bikers, particularly those who are vulnerable to infection, should be alerted to the potential risk of acquiring zoonotic illnesses from participation in events which cross land used by agricultural and other animals.

 To comment on the report, email bikes.outbreak@nphs.wales.nhs.uk.