At the 2024 Paris Olympics, Belgian triathlete Claire Michel had to abandon the competition, having fallen ill just after swimming… in the Seine! The bacteria was suspected E. colipresent in this river. It caused a lot of talk, because the quality of the water had been criticized a lot in recent months. Finally, we know that Claire Michel did not contract this bacteria. But we wanted to introduce you to this last one because it can be dangerous and it is not only found in the Seine! Follow me!
Escherichia coli, E. coli Bacteria, also known as spores, are bacteria that live naturally in the intestines of humans and some animals. Most of the time, they do not cause any problems, but they can sometimes cause serious infections, with symptoms such as severe diarrhea and vomiting.
The severe form of the bacteria E. coli can be spread through foods such as raw or undercooked ground meat and dairy products. It can also contaminate water if it is polluted with fecal matter (poop).
To reduce your risk of infection by E. coliI give you some advice:
- Cook your ground meat like a real chef! Make sure it is cooked through before eating it. Yes, even during summer barbecues!
- Avoid questionable water! Drink only well-treated water.
- Wash your hands…especially after using the toilet!
Is the Seine clean or not?
Several tests have been carried out every day for months. Paris has spent 1.4 billion euros (more than 2 billion dollars) to clean the river in preparation for the Games! Unfortunately, this is not the first time that the quality of the Seine water has been a problem since the beginning of the event. Already, events have been postponed and training sessions cancelled because of the dirty water that failed bacteriological tests. It was quite a headache for the organisers!
By Mina Dromard
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