Using the internet for rapid investigation of an outbreak of diarrhoeal illness in mountain bikers
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In summer 2008, we investigated an outbreak of diarrhoeal illness in participants of a mountain-bike event in Wales (UK) which had been affected by heavy rain. We conducted a retrospective cohort study to investigate the cause using an internet-based questionnaire. Fifty-three percent of those contacted responded, and 161 (46·5%) out of the 347 responders, reported gastrointestinal symptoms. Median day of onset was 3 days following the event. Ten riders reported receiving a laboratory-confirmed diagnosis of Campylobacter. Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified the inadvertent ingestion of mud (OR 2·5, 95% CI 1·5-4·2, P<0·001) and eating 'other' food during the event (OR 2·1, 95% CI 1·2-3·6, P=0·01) as significant risk factors for illness. We concluded that the outbreak was caused by Campylobacter, spread to the riders by the inadvertent ingestion of mud which had been contaminated with sheep faeces from the rural course. Mountain-bike race organizers should consider microbiological hazards when risk-assessing potential race courses. The internet is an efficient tool for the investigation of outbreaks in computer-literate populations.
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Diarrhea is the GI disease that affects the highest number of endurance athletes, representing 16.4-59% of the total number of registered cases of GI problems.
“The results found highlight diarrhea as the GI disease that affects the highest number of endurance athletes, representing 16.4–59% of the total number of registered cases of GI problems [24,25,30,37,57].”
From Nutrition-Related Adverse Outcomes in Endurance Sports Competitions: A Review of Incidence and Practical Recommendations (2020) · cites this paper as [37]
A high incidence of GI disorders during physical exercise can be observed among long-distance runners, duathletes and triathletes, cyclists, and athletes who participate in other sports modalities of long duration.
“A high incidence of GI disorders during physical exercise can be observed among long-distance runners [30], duathletes and triathletes [24], cyclists [33,37], and athletes who participate in other sports modalities of long duration [5,25].”
From Nutrition-Related Adverse Outcomes in Endurance Sports Competitions: A Review of Incidence and Practical Recommendations (2020) · cites this paper as [37]
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- Authors
- GRIFFITHS, S. L., SALMON, R. L., MASON, B. W., ELLIOTT, C., THOMAS, D. R., & DAVIES, C.
- Affiliations
- National Health Service Wales (GB)
- Corresponding author
- GRIFFITHS, S. L.
- ORCID
- MASON, B. W.
- Venue
- Epidemiology and Infection
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press (CUP)
- Published
- 2010-06-29
- Volume
- 138
- Issue
- 12
- Pages
- 1704-1711
- ISSN
- 0950-2688 (ISSN-L)
- 1469-4409
- OpenAlex
- W2001734930
- Cited by
- 13
- References
- 17
- Citations by year
- 2021: 1 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 1 · 2016: 1 · 2015: 3 · 2013: 1 · 2012: 1
- FWCI
- 0.98
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Epidemiology and Infection (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Food Science › Salmonella and Campylobacter epidemiology
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Travel-related health issues
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Data-Driven Disease Surveillance
- Keywords
- mountain biking, Campylobacter, internet-based questionnaire, food poisoning, risk factors, heavy rainfall
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Animals, Campylobacter, Campylobacter Infections, Diarrhea, Disease Outbreaks, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Surveys and Questionnaires, Retrospective Studies, Sheep, Soil Microbiology, Wales, Zoonoses, Cohort Studies, Telemedicine, Internet, Young Adult, Athletes
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