We have problems here in the US now it happening on US bases oversars.

E.Coli found in water supply at US air base

A POTENTIALLY lethal bug has been discovered at an American airbase.

E.Coli was discovered in the water system at RAF Alconbury following routine testing.

Although the exact strain is not known and no-one is thought to be sick as a result, the 2,500 servicemen and their families on the base have been told to boil water and drink bottled water until further notice.

The on-site bowling alley and pub has also been throwing out ice.

Flyers have been distributed to all military housing, dormitories and lodgings on the base, plus a base-wide email has been sent out, and an announcement made on the base television channel.

Col Jack Jones, 423rd Air Base Group commander, said: "No suspicious or malicious activity is suspected at this time. The actions being taken are simply precautionary measures to make sure we act in the most conservative and prudent way."

The coliform bacteria and E.Coli were detected during a routine monthly check on Wednesday.

It is not known how it got into the system. The previous check was on September 15 and it has not yet been established how far the bacteria has spread.

RAF Alconbury has its own water system, and although water is received from Anglian Water, the base said the bacteria got into the supply once in their own system.

Dr Kate King, a consultant in communicable disease control with Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Health Protection Unit, said E.Coli in water supplies can come from human or animal excrement getting into the system, and was a marker that something has gone wrong.

"It means that somewhere in the water supply there has been contamination," she said.

"Sometimes water pipes and sewerage pipes are put in the same track and if there's damage you can get cross of material between the two.

"Action needs to be taken to find out where the contamination has come from, and the system cleaned."

Civil engineers at RAF Alconbury have started a hydrant-flushing regime and increased the dosage of chlorine in the system to eliminate the problem. Bioenvironmental engineers will continue sampling the water until the system is cleared.

Medical staff have set up an information booth in the community activities centre to answer people's questions and concerns, and there is a hotline for military families to call.

www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/huntingdon/2006/10/08/6f941032-702b-4745-a807-1a0adbb90b87.lpf