Statement of the FISA Executive Committee at 7 June 2011: Hamburg and the E coli outbreak

The German health authorities have:
a. ensured that the drinking water sources at and the water of the regatta course are safe;
b. made significant efforts to remove and destroy any vegetables that could possibly transmit this disease to humans, and;
c. continued to investigate the cause of this disease, even though it is unlikely to find the source after such a period of time has passed.

The Organising Committee in Hamburg have:
a. requested, with the full support of the municipal government of Hamburg, that the hotels and caterers strictly follow the recommendations of the German health authorities and the FISA Sports Medicine Commission;
b. contracted a specialised cleaning company for regular inspections and cleaning of toilets, dressing rooms and showers.;
c. provide special facilities for the disinfection of hands at the toilets and the catering tent.

The Sports Medicine Commission strongly recommends that teams:
a. engage in good hygiene practices at all times including regular hand washing or hand sanitization before and after meals, and after visits to sanitary areas;
b. avoid hand-to-mouth contact;
c. avoid uncooked vegetables and salads including cucumber, tomatoes and sprouts, and;
d. ensure that high risk foods such as ground beef or hamburgers are cooked thoroughly.

Based on these actions and recommendations above, the FISA Executive Committee is confident that there is no particular risk for participants and that the Hamburg stage of the 2011 Samsung World Rowing Cup series should go forward as planned without hesitation.

The regatta starts on 17 June 2011 at the newly renovated Hamburg International Regatta Course in Allermoehe.

FISA Executive Committee on 7 June 2011 at 10:00 hrs

Relevant informative links:
World Health Organisation
Marler Clark Food Safety organisation
German Robert Koch Institute, Germany’s center for disease control