E.coli alert: Two Britons hospitalised after contracting deadly bug from water in seaside town

READ MORE: Salmonella outbreak SPIKE: Infections linked to eggs up 25% See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred Source Published: 07:47 EDT, 27 August 2026 | Updated: 08:06 EDT, 27 August 2026 Two children have been hospitalised after playing in a Bournemouth river that's teeming with deadly E.coli. A woman has also been left 'desperately poorly' after coming into contact with the water at Christchurch harbour in Bournemouth. Members of the Christchurch Harbour & Marine Society, a group of volunteers who monitor the water quality, fear others have also fallen ill. Testing shows E. coli levels in the Stour river peaked in mid August, and remain at unsafe levels. The pathogen – which typically causes diarrhoea, abdominal pain and fever – can be spread through contaminated water, with faeces a major source of such contamination. E.coli levels for safe swimming are supposed to be at no more than 1,000 Colony Forming Units, according to the Environment Agency. But Martin Stewart, chairman of the CHAMS, said readings hit 370,000 on August 19. 'We aren’t sure where it has come from but clearly something has happened and whatever it is is a scandal,' he said. The Environment Agency says it does not routinely monitor non-bathing waters such as the River Stour'I am being fed details of cases of illness where people have been in the water and ending up in Bournemouth Hospital. It's a serious situation.' It has been reported that the two children who have been hospitalised with the infection were in contact with the water in the harbour shortly before falling ill. As reported by The Sun, one child has a cut on their foot, which could have acted as an entry point for the bacteria, allowing infection to develop.In rare cases, bacteria can spread into the bloodstream, resulting in sepsis.Mr Stewart added that another woman approached the society, but has now recovered. She is a member of a local rowing club and alleges her illness was linked to being in contact with the water. Christchurch Sailing Club has cancelled its on-water events over the scare.In the majority of E.coli cases symptoms fade naturally within days. Large amounts of rain water can cause an increase in the presence of bacteria such as E. Coli because of the UK's water lawsHowever, for vulnerable populations, the infection can get into the blood and travel to the organs, causing catastrophic damage.A handful of Britons die from complications of an E.coli infection every year.It can be spread by touching infected animals or their faeces directly, as well as coming into direct contact with infected people's waste.The Environment Agency has now begun its own investigations. 'We are considering multiple sources of pollution including agricultural and private sewage sources across Christchurch Harbour's large catchment,' it said. But the agency does not routinely monitor non-bathing rivers like the River Stour for the bacteria, 'because its presence has no direct impact on the river's ecology'. It added: 'Our officers are out taking samples and checking the performance of Wessex Water assets after a reported pollution incident at Christchurch Harbour.'We welcome the role citizen-science monitoring can play in improving water quality.'