The resorts of the Black Sea coast have been incredibly popular in the past few years. Most Russian citizens prefer to spend their holidays on the Black Sea. Pleasant climate, picturesque nature, warm gentle sea, beaches with a wide coastline and pleasant prices for vacations are what attract modern tourists.
Recently it became known that Escherichia coli was found in the Black Sea. This news literally turned the whole idea of a pleasant vacation and became the cause of widespread concern, almost panic. Many of those who have already managed to purchase permits, tickets, began to refuse them, not wanting to spend their whole vacation in a hospital bed. So what do real reviews say on this issue? Was Escherichia coli in the Black Sea really discovered or is it all the intrigues of intruders? Let's take a closer look at this issue.
Tourist dissatisfaction
Tourists spending their holidays in the resorts of the Black Sea coast are concerned about the sanitary condition of the region. The petition for E. coli in the Black Sea is the fruit of their collective work. So, they complain that after taking water procedures, that is, banal bathing in sea water, they have to become the next patient in crowded medical facilities. And all the fault is E. coli in the Black Sea. Vomiting, weakness, diarrhea, loss of strength and a rather high body temperature - all these symptoms are present to one degree or another in patients of the local hospital.
Hospitals are really crowded, patients are in the corridor, and all this is in the Olympic Sochi, which literally revived from the ashes in which they created all the necessary conditions for a family vacation. Children are at risk, they are primarily affected by E. coli in the Black Sea. Numerous reviews of tourists and vacationers indicate dirt on the beaches, widespread unsanitary conditions, the presence of sewage and sewage in the sea. If you refer to the reviews of tourists, for sure in each of them you will find information about disgusting health, vomiting, terrible pain after the first contact with water. There is no doubt that Escherichia coli was discovered on the Black Sea coast. Another thing is what are the causes of such a widespread infection, its massive and active spread, and whether measures will be taken to stabilize the situation.
Of course, not everyone can afford the expensive overseas resorts. On the other hand, why go somewhere if our country has its own access to the warm sea due to its advantageous geographical position. Every year, hundreds of thousands of tourists from different parts of the country have a rest in the resorts of the Krasnodar Territory, military personnel spend their holidays here, who, by virtue of their profession, are not allowed to leave the Russian Federation. We are all interested in ensuring that our resorts have the necessary conditions for a complete, most comfortable and, most importantly, safe holiday.
Possible reasons
The authorities speak rather restrainedly on this issue, trying to maintain calm in the region. Meanwhile, local hospitals continue to receive complaints from tourists and locals.
Why does E. coli in the Black Sea? What caused the mass poisoning of vacationers? Are there any methods to stop the development of infection in the region? Rospotrebnadzor presented a report on the survey of water on the Black Sea coast of Sochi and Adler. According to him, the causative agent of intestinal infection was not found in the sea , respectively, anything, but not an infection, can be the cause of such a mass epidemic. Of course, authorities refer to overcrowding of beaches, unsanitary conditions, and non-compliance with basic hygiene requirements by vacationers.
Escherichia coli in the Black Sea may appear due to the active discharge of sewage and sewage water, garbage into the sea water. If you have ever rested in the Black Sea resorts of Russia in season, you probably had the opportunity to appreciate all this "splendor."
How does infection happen?
Disinterested persons after their own independent examination revealed that in the Sochi, Adler region, E. coli is constantly present in the Black Sea. August is the peak of the season when infection is widespread. It is at this time of year that the local hospitals are crowded with patients.
So, it was possible to identify that most often infection occurs after direct contact with sea water, namely, swallowing it during bathing. At risk are children from two years old, who, due to age, find it difficult to follow basic measures of protection and hygiene. That is why in the infectious disease ward of local hospitals, it is precisely the babies that are frequent patients. As you know, treating an infection in a child has a number of difficulties, it can drag on and turn into serious consequences.
So, the annual problems with the sea, or rather the state of sea water, begin at the beginning of the season - June, when the temperature begins to rise gradually. It is in such conditions that the infection begins to appear, and in the future, the infection spreads actively. The picture is complicated by breakwaters, contributing to stagnation of water, as well as the lack of a sewage system in Sochi, as a result of which all wastewater is sent directly to the sea.
Why exactly Russian resorts
Of course, all tourists and vacationers are interested in the geography of the spread of infection. We all know from the school geography course that the Black Sea belongs not only to the Russian Federation, but at least Turkey and Bulgaria offer their guests to visit the Black Sea. E. coli (where it does not exist, there are no epidemics there), however, it is found only in us. Why is information about infection coming from Russian resorts? These questions are asked by modern tourists.
If you believe the words of experts in this matter, E. coli is a bacterium that can be found in any environment. That is why no resort with a massive concentration of holidaymakers in the season can completely protect itself from such a nuisance. Another thing is Escherichia coli in the Black Sea (2016 became the year when the current sanitary situation was declared catastrophic) is a consequence of contamination of water with feces, processed products, and wastewater. And all these illegal emissions occur again within the framework of our state. Here is the answer to the question of why E. coli is found in the Black Sea.
Moreover, local authorities are trying to "squeeze" out of the resorts during the season maximum. This is evidenced by the overcrowding of beaches, hotels, hotels and holiday homes. Of course, high air temperature contributes to the spread of infection, which leads to a similar reaction.
A bit about infection
For some tourists, the information that they found E. coli in the Black Sea does not mean anything. They do not understand anything in medicine, they have no idea what an infection is, what area of the human body affects, how it is transmitted. That is why sometimes they can not identify its presence in their body.
Non-pathogenic varieties of E. coli are part of the intestinal microflora, respectively, are present in the body of every person. Pathogenic strains cause infectious and inflammatory diseases, most often of the digestive tract. They produce enterotoxins causing diarrhea.
About symptoms
Symptoms of infection are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, fever. Among the main causes of infection, experts single out non-compliance with basic hygiene standards. At the same time, infection often occurs in resorts during crowds.
Treatment
After E. coli was found in the Black Sea, local hospitals and clinics do not stop accepting complaints from vacationers. Infectious wards are literally crowded, people even lie in the corridor, on the floor. A large problem was E. coli in the Black Sea. You should not engage in treatment yourself. It is difficult to cope with the infection without the help of doctors, it is better to consult a specialist immediately after detecting the first signs of the disease. Most often, antibiotics, absorbent preparations based on activated carbon, for example, and probiotics are used for therapy.
Epidemic control
Of course, without the intervention of local authorities, it is unlikely that they will be able to solve and eradicate the problem. The main problem of the resort is the lack of a unified sewage system. Sochi was put in order, improved, some of its areas were rebuilt literally, and the question of the sewer system remains open. And all this happens in the main resort and tourist center of the country, which is visited annually by hundreds of thousands of tourists. Of course, in such conditions, sewage and sewage water in unlimited quantities enter the sea. If you recall the school course in geography, you will probably notice for yourself that the Black Sea is not located in the best way from the point of view of sanitation, but because the water in it updates at an insignificant low speed - in most cases it stagnates. And under the influence of exhausting heat, it completely becomes a real focus of infections, including intestinal.
Great attention should be paid to the tourists themselves, or rather, to accustom them to compliance with basic norms and hygiene requirements. First of all, it is forbidden to sell drinks and food on local beaches: in the course of numerous studies, it was found that it was during eating on the beach with dirty hands that infection can occur. You need to eat only in trusted establishments, avoiding all contact with locally produced products presented on the beach.
How to protect yourself from infection
How to go to the sea without catching an intestinal infection? This question is one of the most pressing today, because not everyone is ready to give up their summer vacation.
So, first of all, in the resorts you should monitor hygiene, take a shower after each sea bathing, cleansing the skin. The shower not only helps to wash off sea salt from the body, but also removes all impurities that are, to one degree or another, clearly present in the water. It is here, at sea, that you should be more attentive and demanding to everything that you eat, what your children eat, be sure to wash your hands before each meal, use sunscreen and spend more time outdoors, trying to find a secluded place. You must admit that tourists who vacation on the same Black Sea, but choose for their leisure time more remote from the center, more secluded, sometimes wild places, almost never receive complaints. Tourists sending to the sea at the height of the season complain when the beaches are simply crowded.
How to be the one who already bought permits
If you have already purchased tickets, but are concerned about the information about the detection of infection on the Black Sea coast, do not panic. Escherichia coli in the Black Sea (2016 is the year or another - it doesn’t matter) is not uncommon. It should be understood that for resort towns in the conditions of sweltering heat, this is the norm. Another thing is how you will relate to this. Do not be afraid and abandon the planned trip. Look: even after numerous warnings, people still continue to come to Sochi and Adler.
Just remember a few simple rules:
- avoid swimming during extreme heat - it is under the influence of high air temperature and prolonged heating of water in the sea near the coast that bacteria begin to accumulate in huge quantities. It is better to wait a bit and go into the sea when the air temperature returns to normal;
- if possible, try not to swallow water during bathing, explain this to children who are at risk;
- in no case use seawater to wash fruits and vegetables;
- observe hygiene standards;
- After each contact with sea water, be sure to wash your hands with soap;
- understand that coastal areas are not designed to cope, there are specially designated places for this - toilets.
To summarize
Of course, it’s foolish to deny the presence of infection in the Black Sea when hospitals in the region are simply crowded with infected tourists. Nevertheless, if each of us takes control of our health, we will follow the simple rules of staying at resorts, and we will be able to reduce the likelihood of infection at times. Of course, state bodies should intervene in the problem, take all necessary measures to eliminate the source of infection, develop a sewage project, monitor the condition of beaches, food in the resort area. Only joint efforts to resolve the problem will lead to maximum results.