Experts Call For Lessons To Be Learned
Illness experts at Irwin Mitchell who represent victims struck by cryptosporidiosis have called for lessons to be learned after Public Health Wales confirmed they were investigating an outbreak in the Gwent area.The authority and environmental health departments of Newport City Council and Torfaen County Borough Council are assessing the situation after it was revealed that 14 cases have emerged in the start of August.
Seven of the cases have been linked to the swimming pool at the Newport Centre, with each person using the facilities during the period when they would have been exposed to the illness.
Water sampling also revealed the bug was present at the site and it has been closed since September 6th as investigations continue.
Irwin Mitchell’s specialist team of illness lawyers have vast experience in helping people who have suffered illness problems in the UK and abroad, including cryptosporidiosis victims, to gain answers and justice over such issues.
Suki Chhokar, a Partner and expert in illness claims at the firm’s Birmingham office, said: “The risks of cryptosporidiosis cannot be underestimated, as it is an illness which can have a huge impact on victims of all ages and can leave victims with long term health conditions which they never fully recover from.
“It is very welcome to see that Public Health Wales and other authorities have closed the pool following evidence of a link, and it is vital that each confirmed case is carefully assessed with the aim of ensuring everything possible is being done to protect the public from harm and to ensure that adequate health and safety measures are in place for maintaining the swimming pools and the pool toilets to ensure that the risk of further cases being identified is minimised.
“Safety needs to be the fundamental priority and, in the aftermath of this outbreak, it will then be vital for all aspects of the problems to be fully reviewed.
“Such work should go some way to ensuring that the problems seen in these 14 cases are not repeated in the future.”