When you put together stagnant water and extreme heat in the same place, things like this can happen: hundreds of people who participated in a race, infected by a bacterium.
On August 19, the popular race took place Tough Mudderan extreme obstacle course competition, held in Sonoma, California (United States). Between 300 and 400 participants were infected by a resistant bacterium which produces itchy skin, diarrhea, fever, fasciitis, and other problems.
Tought Mudder is a popular extreme obstacle course invented by Will Dean and Guy Livingstone in 2010. The race plays on the primal fears of human beings: fire, cold, electricity, or dirt:
It is currently celebrated all over the world, and there are many different variants. The standard stroke consists of an obstacle course of between 15 and 19 kilometers, which includes dozens of extreme tests: from submerging in frozen water, to going through a maze of cables, some electrified, or running over some coals of fire, in the purest style of the bonfires of San Juan.
These tests have suffered some serious setbacks. In a race held in 2012 in West Virginia, two people suffered a heart attack, and another participant drowned.
400 participants of the Tough Mudder, infected by a bacterium
Two days after the Tough Mudder race held in Sonoma, California, numerous participants began to go to the emergency room, and post photos on social networks with eczema and other skin problems.
The medical centers have treated about 300 race participantsbut 489 cases have been recorded on the networks, according to the local media Los Angeles Times.
They were all infected with the bacteria. A. hydrophilawhich lives in aquatic environments and infects all kinds of animals: fish, livestock, dogs, cats, and also people.
In the case of humans, this bacterium causes fever, skin problems, diarrhea, fasciitis, sepsis, etc. And on top of that, it is resistant to most drugs, according to Ars Technica.
Doctors believe that the infected were infected through the muddy water that was in the different tests of Tough Mudder. This water is not natural, but is prepared for the occasion, creating rafts or channels where ice, coloring, or mud is also added.
Possibly, the combination of standing water and high temperaturescoupled with the fact that the tests last two days and were prepared a couple of days before, allowed the bacteria to reproduce and reach a high concentration.
The organizers of the Tough Mudder race in California could get into trouble if the participants decide to speak out. Since as we say, water hazards are man-made, so they have a responsibility.