Campylobacteriosis Associated with Popular Obstacle-Course Races
the MPR take:
Obstacle courses like the Tough Mudder race could be serving up more than just an endurance challenge; they could be a challenge on the digestive system as well. Clinicians are being alerted of the possibility of Campylobacter coli (C. coli) transmission which may occur when participants are exposed to muddy water contaminated with fecal material. Campylobacter is one of the most common causes of diarrheal illness in the United States. Most persons who become ill with campylobacteriosis get diarrhea, cramping, abdominal pain, and fever within 2–5 days after exposure to the organism. The diarrhea can be bloody and can be accompanied by nausea and vomiting. A recent CDC article points out that inadvertent ingestion of muddy surface water contaminated with cattle or swine feces during a long-distance obstacle adventure course competition likely resulted in the outbreak of campylobacteriosis in 22 participants back in October of 2012. Healthcare providers need to be aware of the association between these adventure races and the risk for exposure to Campylobacter or other pathogens via contaminated water, mud, or slurry so that appropriate diagnostic testing and treatment can be provided to ill participants.
Endurance races that involve electrical shocks, ice baths, and pools of stagnant farm water are acutely popular. All said they had recently fallen face-first in mud, during a Tough Mudder obstacle-course event on a nearby cattle ranch in the town of Beatty the week prior. Centers for Disease ...
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