Golan Heights stream closed to waders over E. coli fears
Health Ministry says this is third time the bacteria found in high concentrations in El Al waterway, stresses closure not connected to leptospirosis outbreak
- See more Times of Israel on Google - add us as a Preferred Source
The Health Ministry announced the closure of a stream in the Golan Heights on Monday after E. coli bacteria were found in the water.
It was the third time that over 1,000 E. coli bacteria per 100 milliliters was found in the El Al stream, according to the ministry. The bacteria is commonly found in animal intestines and is spread through feces.
The stream will be closed until further notice.
The ministry stressed that the closure was not connected to the recent leptospirosis outbreak in northern Israel, which led to the closure of a number of nearby streams.
[mappress mapid=”6471″]
Leptospirosis has been transmitted to people through animal urine in natural water sites, and five years of drought have exacerbated the contamination levels.
The closure of the stream came after the Health Ministry announced the reopening of the Zavitan Stream in the Golan Heights, after several successive tests of its waters had shown that the danger of infection with a potentially fatal bacteria had passed.
A number of other streams and parks were closed due to the contamination.
The main waters infected with the leptospirosis bacteria are in the Golan Heights and Upper Galilee, including the Zaki and Yehudiya streams, the Daliyot estuary, the Gilbon River and the Jordan River in the area of the Jordan park, near the Golan Heights.
The ministry has said that 42 people have been infected with leptospirosis and another 242 people are suspected to have contracted the disease.
The Times of Israel Community.