I caught a PARASITE swimming at popular UK beach with diarrhoea symptoms lasting months – Brits should be aware

A BEACH-GOER claims she was left violently ill with a parasite after ‘swallowing contaminated seawater’ while taking a dip in at a popular UK beach. Katherine Hopkins spent a month in hospital just days after swimming in the sea at Hove Lawns in Brighton, over four days in May. Katharine Hopkins, 35, spent a month in hospital after swimming in what she believes to be contaminated water Credit: Kennedy News She developed diarrhoea and vomiting 10 days after swimming Credit: Kennedy News The 35-year-old also had one quick dip in Lancing Beach in West Sussex. Katherine, a former tattoo artist, swam for “three to four hours at a time” without putting her head underwater – though she did get splashed with seawater on her face. Sign up for the Health newsletter Thank you! About 10 days after her first beach swim on May 23, Katherine began experiencing agonising stomach cramps – sending her running to the toilet as much as 30 times a day. “I genuinely thought I was going to die. I just felt really helpless,” she said. Katherine in the sea at Hove Lawns in Brighton Credit: Kennedy News Katherine in hospital Credit: Kennedy News As her symptoms worsened, Katherine went to hospital where tests revealed she’s contracted cryptosporidium – a microscopic parasite causing violent intestinal illness called cryptosporidiosis. Katherine underwent a kidney transplant in 2010, leaving her particularly vulnerable to infection. She believes she caught the parasite after swallowing seawater that splashed her face – which she fears could have been contaminated. Following a month in hospital, Katherine was discharged home two and a half stone lighter after surviving on a liquid diet. Most read in Health Still experiencing symptoms now, she fears more people could fall ill if they swim in possibly dirty seawater. In July, Southern Water was fined £7.1m at Canterbury Crown Court after repeated illegal sewage pollution incidents forced the closure of beaches off the Kent coast. The court heard how preventable equipment failures and poor operational oversight led to repeated discharges of untreated sewage between 2019 and 2021, some at the height of summer. It comes five years after Southern Water received a record £90 million fine for nearly 7,000 illegal sewage discharges across Hampshire, Kent and Sussex. Katherine’s symptoms were so severe she feared she was going to die Credit: Kennedy News She was already vulnerable as she’d had a kidney transplant Credit: Kennedy News Across five major pollution incidents, Southern Water repeatedly failed to maintain critical pumping equipment, delayed reporting pollution to regulators and allowed untreated sewage to enter coastal waters, the court heard. Southern Water said that these incidents were five years ago and pointed out that Hove’s bathing water is now rated ‘Excellent’ by the Environment Agency. Katherine, who lives in Hove, East Sussex, said: “I went in the sea for the majority of each day. I was in and out between three to four hours at a time. I loved it. “It didn’t look visibly dirty. Brighton sea always looks a bit murky. There were no signs saying ‘don’t swim here’. There were kids in the water. “I splashed my face and got water in my eye.” But around 10 days after her first swim, she developed stomach cramps. Katherine said: “I was going to the toilet 20 to 30 times and I was so dehydrated. When I tried to drink water, it would just come straight out. “I was nearly fainting, I was hot and feverish. I threw up once. I thought I had food poisoning but I hadn’t eaten anything to cause that.” Katherine says she’s still experiencing symptoms months later Credit: Kennedy News Katherine went to the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton on June 16, where tests revealed she had cryptosporidiosis. She said a specialist doctor suggested the infection was likely picked up from swimming in the sea. Katherine said: “I came in looking yellow and grey and my kidney function was deteriorating really rapidly. “They gave me 15-20 litres of water in the first three days because I was that dehydrated. “After four or five days in hospital, the doctor told me I had cryptosporidium. “They told me it was a parasite caused by sewage and symptoms take normally 10 days after you contracted it and then it hatches in your stomach. “I ended up getting a bacterial infection as well. “I believe it was from the sea. A gastric consultant told me that it makes sense it was contracted through swimming in the sea.” Symptoms of cryptosporidiosis generally begin two to 10 days after infection. Most people get it after accidentally swallowing water that has cryptosporidium in it, but it can also be spread by contaminated food like unwashed vegetables or raw milk. The parasite lives in the guts of humans and animals and is spread by poo particles. It can enter the water from agricultural run-off via streams and rivers, storm overflows or from sewage discharges. In 2024, a cryptosporidiosis outbreak in Brixham, Devon, resulted in a utility company being fined £1.85million after hundreds of people fell ill and thousands had to boil their drinking water. After a month in hospital, Katherine was discharged home on July 6 – and has vowed never to swim in British waters again. Katherine said: “I was basically on a liquid diet. I lost two and a half stone within a month in hospital. “I’ve still got symptoms now. I’m still on a restricted diet. It’ll take a few months for my stomach to go back to normal.” “I was really angry. I’m never going swimming in the sea in the UK again. “I was really shocked – I never thought I’d go in the sea and contract a parasite. “People should be able to go in the sea without getting ill.” Official comments Councillor David McGregor, Cabinet Member for Economy, Culture, Heritage and Tourism at Brighton & Hove City Council, said: “We have high expectations as to the quality of our bathing water – expectations we regularly communicate to Southern Water. “During the summer bathing season, the Environment Agency carries out weekly water quality testing for a range of bacteria, across three sites along our 13 kilometres of seafront, including in Hove. “All of the most recent recordings for Hove have put the quality of our bathing water there as excellent. “We have the upmost sympathy for what this resident is going through, but the regular, independent water quality testing should provide reassurance to residents and visitors that our beaches are safe to swim in.” An Environment Agency spokesperson said: “Our seas, rivers and lakes naturally contain bacteria, some of which can cause illness. Additional bacteria can enter from farm runoff, sewage works and storm overflows, especially after heavy rain. “This bathing water is regularly monitored, and, on this occasion, there were no signs of any impact on water quality. “We encourage people to follow UKHSA swimming advice and check Swimfo before visiting a designated bathing water.” Southern Water said there were no storm overflow releases at either of the nearest locations during the times Katherine swam. A spokesperson from Southern Water said: “Hove’s bathing water is rated ‘Excellent’ by the Environment Agency, with the nearest storm overflow more than two miles offshore and five miles north west of Hove. “Local waters are further protected by Brighton’s super-sewer, which can store 150,000 tonnes of rainwater and wastewater for treatment at Peacehaven. “No overflow took place on the days in question and samples taken by the EA on the 15th, 21st and 27th May showed no so-called faecal indicators. “We are sorry to hear someone became unwell after swimming. Southern Water is committed to protecting bathing water quality and works alongside local authorities and other partners to safeguard our coastline.” Regarding the £7.1million fine for sewage pollution, Southern Water said they were ‘deeply sorry’ but pointed out the events took place between 2019-21. They admitted pollution incidents are ‘unacceptable’ but that since then they have made significant changes. Comment now