Zaragoza (EFE) – The Aragonese public health department has determined, after water analysis in different areas of the Queles river bed, that the gastroenteritis outbreak detected in Tarazona and other surrounding towns did not originate from the Aragonese community, but in Castile and Leon.
As a result of the segmentation of the Queles River, an analysis carried out by the public health department found the presence of Cryptosporidium protozoa, which is responsible for an outbreak of gastroenteritis in the Castile and León region of Upper Aragon, reports Aragonese . Ministry of Health in a press release.
Work continues now so that Tarazona and surrounding towns can return to normalcy as quickly as possible.
Qualls River Water Analysis
Analysis of the water of the Queles River, ordered by the National Guard’s Nature Conservation Service and funded by the Ministry of Health of the Government of Aragon, revealed the presence of crystalloid oocysts before the river entered the territory of Aragon.
They report in the above note that the increasingly important hypothesis is that the source of the contamination is located outside the territory of Aragon.
Starting this Monday, the Directorate General of Public Health of the Ministry of Health will coordinate all actions together with the Ministry of Interior and the communities of Castile and León, Aragon and Navarre, as the latter draw water from the Queles River for use in De Esa The reservoir’s water storage project supplies water to several towns in the Foral community of Navarra.
The first coordination meeting convened by the General Directorate of Public Health of the Ministry of Health is also scheduled to be held this afternoon.
Cryptosporidium, a cause of gastroenteritis in Tarazona
Cryptosporidium was the cause of a gastroenteritis outbreak in Tarazona over the weekend of Sept. 9-10. This protozoan occurs in aquatic environments as oocysts and cannot be detected by conventional control analyses.
Since September 11 last year, residents of Tarazona cannot use the water for drinking or brushing their teeth and must boil the water for at least 10 minutes before cooking. This restriction applies to the towns of Torreras, Novalas and Los Fayos starting Thursday, September 21, following the detection of protozoa in Quiles.
As of 8:00 a.m. Monday, the Tarazona gastroenteritis outbreak has recorded 498 cases. Clinically, the patient’s condition is mild, with diarrhea and, in special cases, vomiting and fever.