Poster about an prospective study conducted to assess risks of infection during an urban swimming event in Utrecht, the Netherlands in 2016.

1. Multivariable analysis on risk factors for AGI in the UCS
swimmers (n=160)
Characteristic Total Cases aRR* 95% CI
Gender
Female
Male
88
72
11
6 0.62 0.24-1.6
Age (years)
<35
=>35
93
67
10
7 2.1 0.89-5.1
Water ingested
No
Yes
30
130
1
16 3.9 0.52-29
Noseclip
No
Yes
157
3
16
1 2.8 0.40-20
Use medication
No
Yes
126
34
10
7 2.6 1.1-6.5
* Adjusted for gender and age
• Swimming events in city canals are gaining
popularity in the Netherlands
• Knowledge about the risk of infection in canal
swimming events is limited
Aim: prospectively determine the risks of infections
during an urban swimming event, the Utrecht Canal
Swim 2016 (UCS)
Swimming event in an urban canal in the Netherlands,
June 2016; prospective study to assess infection risks
• There was no significant higher risk to develop AGI for participants of this edition of UCS
• No risk factor identified which leads to greater risk of AGI
• Viral pathogens identified in canal water and stool
Recommendation: inform participants about the potential health risks of swimming in canal water and
advise swimmers to avoid ingestion of canal water during swimming.
• online questionnaires to participants of the SSU
and to 3 non-exposed relatives
• Case definition: Acute Gastrointestinal Illness
(AGI) was defined as diarrhea, nausea, vomiting
or stomachache within 7 days after the event
• Statistical analyses: risk factors assessed
using binomial regression models
• Laboratory analyses: bacterial and viral
• water from the venue
• stool samples from participants and non-
exposed with AGI
1. Background: canal swimming events are popular,
health risks are unknown
2. Methods: prospective cohort and laboratory tests
4. Conclusion & Recommendation: no increased risk during this event. Single event, therefore inform
participants about potential health risks
• 160 UCS participants (response rate 59%) and 40
non-exposed relatives (5%) returned the
questionnaires
• 11 % of the participants (n=17) and 3% of non-
exposed (n=1) reported AGI (RR 4.25; 95%CI 0.58-
31)
Laboratory results:
• Norovirus genotype-II in 2 out of 6 water specimens
and in 0 stool specimens
• Rotavirus in 1 out of 3 stool specimens
3. Results: no higher risk among UCS swimmers
1) Public Health Service Utrecht region, Zeist, the Netherlands
2) Centre for Infectious Diseases, Epidemiology and Surveillance,
National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM),
Bilthoven, the Netherlands
3) Public Health Service Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
4) Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal
Medicine, Academic Medical Center (AMC), University of
Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Copyright © 2016 A.D. (Putri) Hintaran, phintaran@ggdru.nl, +3130 608 6086
A.D. Hintaran (1), R. Joosten (1), W. Lodder (2), R. Pijnacker (2), D. Brandwagt (1), G. Sonder (3,4), E. Fanoy (1,2)
(Contact: phintaran@ggdru.nl)