With the Glastonbury Festival kicking off this week, music fans will have to face the reality that the comforts of home will be taken away for a muddy party weekend.

One of the greatest comforts that many will miss is a decent bathroom.

As if using festival swamps weren’t sad enough, knowing you could catch a number of diseases is sure to make your stomach spin.

Holiday baths could be described as a cesspool of disease and as the days go by they by their nature become disgusting and the risk increases.

So what diseases could you get from portaloos and how can you reduce the risk?



portal diseases

Salmonella

Salmonella is a bacterial disease that affects the gut and causes a range of symptoms, from nausea to fever and bloody stools.

Salmonella is usually transmitted to humans by eating food contaminated with animal feces (poop) and is contagious.

Unfortunately, if only one person at the festival has a case of salmonella, there’s a good chance it will spread.

One study found that salmonella “persisted in the bathrooms for four weeks after the diarrhea subsided, despite the use of cleaning fluids.”

This shows how well the disease hides even after cleaning.

norovirus

Norovirus is highly contagious, and the infection can cause diarrhea and vomiting.

Norovirus is similar to salmonella in that it is spread when eating food contaminated with feces.

Symptoms include a runny nose, cough, conjunctivitis, fever, and Koplik’s spots, a raised type of ulcer, on the inside of the cheeks.

A rash usually develops a few days after the first symptoms.

It can appear as flat red or brown spots that start on the face and neck and spread throughout the body.

According to Public Health England, tips for reducing norovirus at festivals include:

  • Wash your hands before eating and drinking and after using the bathroom
  • Wash your hands with liquid soap
  • Use paper towels to dry your hands and throw them in the trash

Shigella infection

Shigella infection, or shigellosis, occurs when a person ingests food or water that is contaminated with a group of bacteria called “shigella” or comes into direct contact with them through the stool.

It’s so contagious that people can still wear it a week or two after it’s gone.

Symptoms include diarrhea, stomach cramps, fever, and nausea and can last up to a week.

British public health consultant Dr David Kirrage said people should practice good infection control.

“Effective hand washing is also helpful in controlling norovirus and flu, which are also circulating this time of year and could explain some of the cases we see,” he said.

According to Festival Source, the best tips for managing portals are:

  • don’t look down
  • breathe through the mouth
  • Hover if you can
  • Use toilet seats
  • Do not use wet wipes
  • Bring your own toilet paper
  • Wear easily accessible clothing