Galizano beach in Cantabria is closed due to a possible outbreak of gastroenteritis caused by pollution.

Santander, Aug 22 (EFE).- The Cantabrian government's General Directorate of Public Health has ordered the Ribamontán al Mar City Council to close Galizano beach to public use due to a possible outbreak of rotavirus gastroenteritis that appears to have been caused by environmental contamination.

The closure has been ordered until the health of the surrounding area can be verified and the situation causing the problems (spill or similar) can be brought under control, Public Health emphasizes in a statement.

The Pediatrics Department of the Marqués de Valdecilla University Hospital, after detecting an outbreak of rotavirus gastroenteritis, contacted the Epidemiological Surveillance Section of the Ministry of Health to report the increase in cases, with the common antecedent of having been on Galizano beach (Ribamontán al Mar) in the 24-48 hours prior to the onset of symptoms.

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The Directorate General of Public Health also maintains communication with the various institutions with jurisdiction in this area to carry out coordinated action.

The reported outbreak affects a significant number of children and appears to have its origins in environmental pollution at that beach.

At least 13 affected

Since then, the Epidemiological Surveillance Service has been investigating and monitoring the situation and, to date, has identified 13 affected individuals, with microbiological analytical confirmation, and at least six other related cases with similar symptoms.

The affected children are all between 1 and 8 years old, and although the progress of these cases is satisfactory, some have required hospitalization. Two of them remain hospitalized.

All cases report having been at the aforementioned beach between August 10 and 15, 2025, and having bathed in a "pool" that forms at low tide, a common practice among young children, as reported by families and recorded in the epidemiological survey.

Yesterday, Thursday, the Public Health Service's Environmental Health Inspection Department confirmed on-site that the La Canal estuary, which flows into the beach, is filled with debris that ends up on the sand and, ultimately, in the sea. Therefore, various samples have been taken to identify possible water contamination. EFE