Wild swimming linked to higher risk of stomach bugs and skin rashes

Researchers said they were confident the findings would be applicable to the UK despite the study being conducted in Hungary. Photograph: Posed by model; dotdotred/Getty Images/Image Source

Wild swimming has been linked to a higher risk of stomach bugs and skin rashes, according to the largest ever controlled study of illnesses associated with bathing in rivers and lakes.

The research found that swimmers at locations in Hungary were more than twice as likely to develop skin problems, while the risk of contracting a stomach bug rose significantly in water with higher concentrations of E coli and other bacteria linked to faecal pollution.