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Roscommon
Boil water notice issued in Roscommon due to gut infection outbreak
The council said most healthy people will recover quickly from the infection but those with poor immune systems could become severely ill.
ROSCOMMON COUNTY COUNCIL has issued a boil water notice for residents in the south of the county after a new outbreak of the gut infection cryptosporidiosis.
In a notice today, the council said that cryptosporidium, a parasite that causes ‘diarrhoeal illness’, has been identified in the water supply in Killeglan Water Supply Scheme.
Most healthy people will recover quickly from the infection but severe illness can occur in people with poor immune systems. The HSE and Roscommon County Council have established an Incident Response Team to investigate the incident and will respond to minimise the risk to the public.
There have been a number of outbreaks of the infection in the county in the last year and the Environmental Protection Agency was called in to investigate.
The council said boiling water is the best extra measure to ensure that your water is free of cryptosporidium and other infections.
It is essential that people in the affected areas boil any water intended for drinking or food preparation. If you are unsure of the source of your water supply, you should boil your water as a precautionary measure.
Un-boiled water can be used for personal hygiene, bathing and flushing of toilets but not for brushing teeth or gargling.
More advice and details on affected areas can be found here.
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