It’s a human adventure that turned into a nightmare. Nearly 800 women participated in the “Trek Rose Trip”, an orienteering race in the Moroccan desert taking place from October 27 to 30, 2023, organized by the travel agency Désertours.
During this charity event to benefit the fight once morest breast cancer, 200 of them gradually became very ill, some the day before the last stage, Saturday, others a little later.
Vomiting, acute diarrhea, fever of 39 degrees, even convulsions for the most serious cases. The rest camp was transformed in a few hours into a veritable battlefield.
The fault lies with a bacteria – Shigella or Escherichia coli, the investigation will determine – which quickly spread among the ranks of the runners. The causes of this spread – through water or food – are currently unknown.
A woman from Muy seriously affected
Living in Le Muy, Sarah Constanzo Ballue – who has recovered from breast cancer for several years – is one of the participants seriously affected by the bacteria.
“She was hospitalized in critical condition with 45 other womentestifies for Var-matin her husband, Constant Philippo. Some of them were on drips.” The media Paris Match indicates that Sarah Constanzo Ballue would have ““Literally drained” for three days”. “She almost died”whispers his companion.
“We saw lots of women lying in their survival blankets in the desert, waiting up to three hours for help”writes Carole Potherat, a participant who escaped the disease, in a publication posted by Trek Rose Trips on Facebook.
La Muyoise is due to arrive in Marseille this Friday evening, “by plane”assures his spouse.
An unsanitary camp
According to the testimonies collected, hygiene in the camp was deplorable: “Everyone realized that there was a health problem, but also a lack of equipment and that the Red Cross doctors were overwhelmed. And I think everyone wanted to flee. But no one ‘dared to say anything’tells Paris Match Cécile Masson, business manager and Trek participant.
“There was vomit and shit all over the aisles of our tentscontinues with horror Carole Potherat, on Facebook. The showers and toilets had become unusable because they were so unsanitary.”
“I told myself that with only 16 toilets for 800, it was obvious that if one of us fell ill, the chain of contamination would be difficult to break”concludes Charlotte Rigal, still on Paris Match.
Time to take stock
Very quickly, the criticisms poured in. Who can be held responsible for this potential poisoning?
“Désertours did not do its job by not identifying the sick, we will file a complaint and ask for compensation [1.600 euros, Ndlr] “, warns Nathalie B, a participant, on the WhatsApp group created for the occasion. A collective was set up to “to be heard”.
The media France Inter informs that Désertours ensures “cooperate fully to determine the nature, origin of the epidemic and how it spread.”
The hygienic conditions of the camp were very insufficient according to numerous testimonies.Photo DR.
