“No psychosis”explained infectiologist Jean-Paul Stahl on franceinfo, about the ban, since Friday June 17 until at least Sunday June 19 at 6 p.m., to consume tap water in the north of the city of Châteauroux after contamination by the bacterium Escherichia coli. “There are a myriad of different Escherichia coli which are more or less carriers of virulence and therefore of pathogenicity in humans”explains the professor emeritus at the University of Grenoble.
>> Contaminated water in Châteauroux: three questions about E. Coli bacteria pollution
The bacterium Escherichia coli has been implicated in several cases of contamination in recent days. In the north of Châteauroux, in the Indre, and in the Manche. Swimming is prohibited at the beaches of La Hague and Sainte-Mère-Eglise, again because of the presence of this bacterium in the water.
franceinfo: Where does this bacteria come from?
Jean-Paul Stahl: The reservoir of Escherichia coli is the intestine of humans and animals. The human intestine contains billions and billions of bacteria. So there is faecal contamination of the water supply system, so common sense precautions need to be taken.
Moreover, in the case of Manchoise beaches, the fact that there are enterococci is a sign that there is a problem of faecal contamination of the waters. So for the beach it is not the drinking water supply system as in Châteauroux that is in question, but rather the sewers. There is undoubtedly a problem there.
You shouldn’t drink contaminated water, or even wash infants with it, but should you worry about these repeated contaminations?
Above all, no psychosis. There are a myriad of different Escherichia coli which carry more or less virulence and therefore pathogenicity in humans. These contaminations deserve that we take precautions, but E. coli, that’s his nickname, is only the symptom of a technical problem, it is not in itself a disaster.
And yet, this bacterium found in several ranges of Buitoni pizzas led to the death of two young children.
It’s different. The risks we talked about recently were a very particular bacterium Escherichia coli, which hosts extremely important virulence factors. There, in Châteauroux and in La Manche, we are not talking about the same thing at all. It is only the witness of a technical malfunction, even if there may be people with symptoms, blood in the stools for example, and in these cases it is necessary to consult a doctor.