“it’s time”. This is after residents of the towns of Tarazona and Torreras in Zaragoza, with around 11,000 inhabitants, learned that after almost two months of restrictions, they could finally drink from the supply network again after the availability of water was confirmed. , this sentence became a hot topic among local residents. The protozoa responsible for gastroenteritis outbreaks are no longer present, and remaining potable levels have normalized.
Health Minister José Luis Bancalero confirmed on Thursday that “the results are already favorable, judging from the physical, chemical and biological parameters analysed,” and he still recommended that the most vulnerable groups – immunosuppressed people, six-year-olds – People below – children and above – are not yet drinking tap water.
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Alarm bells sounded in early September, when an outbreak of gastroenteritis affected dozens, until half a thousand people were affected within a few days. In subsequent analyses, the presence of protozoan oocysts was detected.Cryptosporidium‘, which cannot be detected in conventional control analyses.
For its part, the supply network in the neighboring towns of Los Fayos and Novalas also does not “Cryptosporidium‘, but the water in their location remains unfit for drinking. In Los Fayos, chlorine regulation is yet to be determined, while in Novalas not all bacteriological parameters apply. However, they are expected to return to normal “in a short time”, according to the Aragonese government.
José Luis Bancalero, Minister of Health of the Government of Aragon, discussed the gastroenteritis outbreak at a meeting held a few weeks ago
The first cases of infection were detected in Tarazona on September 9 and 10, with 200 patients in just two days, the vast majority of whom had mild diarrhea, abdominal cramps and fever. At the time, the town council banned the use of tap water, the only common denominator for all those affected, for drinking, cooking or brushing teeth, a restriction that was later extended to three other neighboring towns.
Subsequent studies carried out by the Ministry of Health of the Government of Aragon in different parts of the riverbed confirmed that the microorganisms causing the infection were already present in the neighboring province of Soria, where the river originates. A fish farm in the municipality of Vozmediano Soria was even identified as a possible source, although later analysis by the company confirmed that its trout did not contain protozoa.
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In this sense, the Aragonese adviser admitted that a “more detailed analysis” is still needed to understand the precise origins of the epidemic, since as of now there is still no “local focus”. Even so, he assured that the most convincing theory at the moment is that the outbreak was the result of “heavy rains” in the previous days, as his department has not found any municipalities or governments focusing on this. business activities..
As a medium- to long-term solution, UV systems will be installed in four municipal water treatment plants, an operation that will cost approximately €370,000. Technical material is expected to arrive next week and the systems could be operational in the second half of November.
public health
These four cities will install UV systems at their water treatment plants
Construction of a new catchment at the head of the Quailes River is also being considered, but the presence of the parasite has not yet been detected there, and the pipeline is 7.2 kilometers long, requiring more investment.
Meanwhile, locals are delighted that restrictions are ending. During these eight weeks, the affected people had to buy bottled water and distribute thousands of liters of water distributed by the authorities, a “trouble” that all neighbors wanted to say goodbye to. “I hope this doesn’t happen again,” one neighbor said.