Gastroenteritis strikes two Thessaly villages
At least 121 cases of gastroenteritis linked to tainted drinking water have been recorded in the villages of Rizomylos and Stefanovikeio of the Municipality of Rigas Feraios in Thessaly, Central Greece.
In a joint press conference on Thursday, the president of the National Public Health Organization (EODY), Christos Hatzichristodoulou, and Thessaly Regional Governor Dimitris Kouretas said inspections have identified the pathogen salmonella enterica as the cause of the gastroenteritis outbreak, found in one of the three wells that supply the water network of the two villages.
Local authorities said the aim is to restore water supply to the two villages at the beginning of the coming week.
The EODY president said a long dry season followed by heavy rains, power outages resulting in interruptions in supply and the fact that the water was not chlorinated were contributing factors.