GAA clubs warned of E coli danger after outbreak hits club’s water

UP TO 23 GAA clubs, many of them underage, have been warned players may have been exposed to E coli infection following an outbreak at a club.

So far, two adults and one child have been infected with E coli 0157 after drinking water at Dunsany GAA club in Co Meath. Two of them are club members and the third is a member of a Dublin club.

A statement from the North Eastern Health Board (NEHB) said all three had recovered fully. However, a ban on drinking tap water at the clubhouse remains in place.

Club chairman Richard Harrahill said a greater than usual number of teams had played at the club grounds between June 17-26, the period to which the cases of infection have been linked.

“We had a number of primary schools playing in camogie and hurling finals. We also hosted Féile na nGael (U-14 festival of hurling), involving seven teams from around the country and we had a couple of local matches as well. It was an unusual week in that there was a lot of activity, but we have supplied details of all the teams to the health board,” Mr Harrahill said.

News of the outbreak came to light after a patient was treated for the symptoms. Under infectious disease regulations, E coli must be notified to the health board, which t notifies the National Disease Surveillance Centre.

A spokesperson for the NEHB said an investigation is under way to establish how the club’s water, supplied from a private well, became contaminated. Water samples have been taken.

He said the board was working with Dunsany to contact the teams which had visited the club during the relevant period.

Mr Harrahill said the club had installed a new water chlorination system since the outbreak. No one else has displayed symptoms since the last person became ill in the middle of last week. He said it was reasonable to believe the water had not been contaminated before the period in question because no-one prior to that period had taken ill.

The question of who was liable for players who picked up the infection is being looked into, Mr Harrahill said. Teams currently visiting the club are being advised to bring their own water.

The NEHB has advised anyone connected to the club or who may have symptoms of infection, “especially bloody type diarrhoea” to contact their GP for further advice.

E coli 0157 is one of hundreds of strains of the bacterium Escherichia coli. Although most strains are harmless, this strain produces a toxin that can cause illness.

In Ireland, the number of reported cases is on average 50 per year.