A woman was hospitalized for a month after contracting cryptosporidium, a microscopic parasite, following swims in the sea near Brighton during a heatwave. Katherine Hopkins, 35, from Hove, East Sussex, believes she swallowed contaminated seawater while splashing her face during daily swims in late May.
Swimming in the Sea Led to Severe Illness
Katherine swam for four consecutive days from May 23 at Hove Lawns in Brighton, and also took a quick dip at Lancing Beach in West Sussex. She swam for three to four hours at a time, splashing her face but never putting her head underwater.
About 10 days after her first swim, she developed agonising stomach cramps and needed to use the toilet up to 30 times a day. Her condition worsened, prompting her to go to Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton on June 16, where tests revealed she had cryptosporidiosis, the illness caused by the parasite.
Hospitalization and Recovery
Katherine, who had a kidney transplant in 2010 and was particularly vulnerable, spent a month in hospital and was discharged on July 6, two-and-a-half stone lighter after surviving on a liquid diet. She said she still experiences symptoms and fears others could fall ill if they swim in the sea.
She said: "I went in the sea for the majority of each day. 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. I was in and out between three to four hours at a time."
Parasite and Water Quality Concerns
Cryptosporidium lives in the intestines of infected humans and animals and is excreted, often contaminating water sources. It can enter the sea from agricultural run-off, storm overflows, or sewage discharges. Symptoms typically begin two to 10 days after infection.
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. I genuinely thought I was going to die. I just felt really helpless."
Official Responses
Southern Water said no storm overflow releases occurred at the nearest locations during the times Katherine swam. A spokesperson 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."
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."
Adur District Council, which manages Lancing Beach, said it was a matter for the Environment Agency. Earlier this month, Southern Water was fined £7.1 million at Canterbury Crown Court for repeated illegal sewage pollution incidents that forced beach closures 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.
Southern Water said it was "deeply sorry" for the incidents but noted they occurred between 2019-21, and that significant changes have been made since then. Katherine has vowed never to swim in British waters again, saying: "I was really angry. I'm never going swimming in the sea in the UK again. I think the beach should be shut off - there were so many kids swimming in there and god forbid if they were to get this. 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."
