An Olympic triathlete has been criticised by experts for admitting he stopped washing his hands as part of a warm-up routine before swimming in the Seine.
American athlete Seth Rider claimed he was “trying to increase my E. coli threshold by exposing myself to a little bit of E. coli in my daily life.”
The insect, which can be found in water, often causes fever, nausea and diarrhea. Its symptoms usually disappear naturally within a few days.
But scientists reacted furiously, calling the method “absurd” and “downright dangerous” and saying there was “no scientific basis to support this bizarre strategy”.
This comes after the men’s individual triathlon race at this year’s Games was postponed on Tuesday after failing to meet required hygiene standards on the River Seine in Paris.
American athlete Seth Rider (pictured) said he was “trying to raise my E. coli threshold by exposing myself to a little bit of E. coli in my daily life.” The microorganism, which can be found in water, typically causes fever, nausea and diarrhea. Its symptoms usually disappear naturally within a matter of days.
Rider said: “We know there will be some exposure to E. coli, so I try to increase my threshold for exposure to E. coli by exposing myself to it a little bit in my daily life.” The 27-year-old added: “Just little things throughout the day, like not washing your hands after going to the bathroom and things like that.”
Experts have long been concerned about Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), a rare strain of the bacteria that causes diarrhea. STEC is considered extremely infectious, and in up to 15 percent of cases, it can cause hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a potentially life-threatening condition that can lead to kidney failure.
Mr Rider said: ‘We know there will be some exposure to E. coli.
‘So I’m just trying to increase my E. coli threshold by exposing myself to this bacteria a little bit in my daily life.’
The 27-year-old added: “It’s little things throughout the day, like not washing your hands after going to the bathroom and things like that.”
However, Professor Paul Hunter, a leading infectious disease expert at the University of East Anglia, told MailOnline: “That’s complete nonsense.
‘E. coli rarely causes illness, but if it’s present in your water, there may be other, nastier microbes.
‘We already have E. coli in our gut, so “building tolerance to E. coli” would not reduce the risk of contracting other pathogens that might be present in the water.
‘Washing your hands after going to the bathroom is mainly to avoid infecting others if you are already infected.
“So what he’s doing is not going to reduce his risk but could increase the risk for others.”
Meanwhile, Professor Christopher Stewart, Chair of Human Microbiome Research at Newcastle University, said: ‘Some strains of E. coli cause serious infections.
“There is no science to support this bizarre strategy and promoting sloppy hygiene is downright dangerous.”
Dr Simon Clarke, a microbiologist at the University of Reading, also told MailOnline: “It is absurd to suggest that reducing your own levels of personal hygiene is a way of protecting yourself from exposure to dangerous pathogens.
‘The presence of E. Coli in wastewater-contaminated water is an indicator of the load levels of other pathogens as well, so the risk goes much further.
‘E. coli can cause much more serious illnesses than just an upset stomach, it can lead to kidney failure and it’s important to remember that sewage also contains other nasty things like tapeworms and hepatitis.’
Experts have long been concerned about Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), a rare strain of the microorganism that causes diarrhea.
STEC is considered to be extremely contagious and in up to 15 percent of cases, the organism can cause hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a potentially fatal disease that can lead to kidney failure.
A small proportion of adults may develop a similar condition called thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP).
Dr Mato Lagator, an expert in bacterial evolution and their ability to become resistant at the University of Manchester, told MailOnline: ‘E. coli is a very diverse bacterial ‘species’, and most of its members are not pathogenic.
Ingestion of random strains of E. coli is unlikely to capture pathogenic strains.
‘And even if this were the case, it is unlikely that these strains would be captured in sufficient numbers to survive the acidity of the stomach and reach the intestine.
‘Equally important, adult human immune systems do not develop immunity to E. coli in the same way they do to some viruses, for example.’
Rider is not among the favourites to medal in Paris, with Team GB’s Alex Yee backed to win individual gold for the first time thanks to his silver in Tokyo at the 2020 Games.
According to World Triathlon Federation standards, E. coli levels above 900 colony-forming units per 100 milliliters are considered unsafe.
Organizers had the option of eliminating the swim and turning the event into a duathlon, but it will go ahead as planned today.
Efforts to clean up the water included creating a giant basin to capture rainwater and prevent sewage from reaching the river.
The sewage infrastructure was also renovated and wastewater treatment plants were modernized.
However, organisers knew that heavy rain in the days leading up to a competition could still cause levels of the harmful bacteria E. Coli to rise.
Bathing in the Seine, which runs through the city, has been prohibited since 1923.
This comes after at least 57 athletes fell ill with diarrhoea after swimming in the sea during the World Triathlon Championships in Sunderland last year.
Around 2,000 people took part in the major tournament held last August at Roker Beach, which was awarded the prestigious Blue Flag award for its cleanliness just two years ago.
A test carried out by the UK Environment Agency just three days before the event revealed there were 3,900 colonies of E. Coli per 100ml – almost 40 times higher than typical readings in June.
British Triathlon, which organises official triathlons in the UK, said these results were only published after the event had taken place and that the testing was done outside the area where its sea swimming event took place.
