
“Races are commonly held on farmlands where animal feces increase the risk for zoonotic disease transmission,” the CDC says. coli cases are typically caused by raw or undercooked poultry or cross-contamination with such poultry, but the bacteria also are spread through animal feces, making obstacle race participants vulnerable. Most victims show symptoms two to five days after exposure, and the bug takes about a week to run its course.Ĭ. Some also experience nausea and vomiting.

People who are infected experience cramping, abdominal pain, fever, and diarrhea that is sometimes bloody. “Campylobacter is one of the most common causes of diarrheal illness in the United States,” the CDC says. Participants in the race, which was held on a cattle ranch, frequently submerged their heads in surface water or fell face-first into mud.īut the fun of getting down and dirty comes with risks. coli), which they contracted through contaminated muddy water. While her case is extreme, runners getting sick after such runs is not.Īccording to a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 22 competitors (18 probable and four confirmed) in a Nevada Tough Mudder obstacle race were infected with Campylobacter coli (C. That's what happened though, thanks to a flesh eating bacteria.

What she wasn't expecting was losing the vision in one eye.

Brittany Williams was expecting to maybe suffer from muscle aches after competing in a mud run.
