Ecoli warning for River Severn after bacterial infection strikes teenage rower
A rowing coach has issued a warning about the quality of the River Severn after one of their club's rowers contracted a bacterial infection.
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The message comes after a junior member of Ironbridge Rowing Club fell ill this week.
Stewart Plant, the club's regatta secretary and one of the junior rowing coaches, said that a teenage rowers became unwell on Monday evening at around 9pm.
The youngster was reportedly up all night with diarrhoea and vomiting, before attending the doctors the following day.
"At 4.30pm they were seen by a doctor with a temperature of 38.9 and prescribed antibiotics for a bacterial infection from waterbourne activities. It is believed that water from the river on the rower's water bottle has caused this," said Stewart.
"As a club, we are very proactive with warning of the dangers of Ecoli in the river and use the swimfo website to update the club on a weekly basis or when new readings have been released.
"On July 10, the Ecoli level was 7700 colonies per 100ml, on July 16 it was 2000 colonies per 100ml."
The Environment Agency specifies a reading of more than 900 Ecoli colonies per 100ml in inland bathing waters as 'poor'.
Stewart added: "We have set up additional handwashing stations at the club to help reduce the risk on outings as well.
"This is the first known one we have had at the club but have since been advised some fishermen have also been affected in the last few weeks.
"The club uses British Rowing guidance on rowing when water quality of poor as there have been lots of incidents at other clubs in the UK this year."
The Environment Agency has been approached for comment.
