Montgomery Parks Announces MudFest Medical Sponsors
On Saturday, June 14, Montgomery Parks kicks off the summer with MudFest, where the lawn of Woodstock Equestrian Special Park in Dickerson will be turned into humongous man-made mud pools. Attendees will slip, splash, and cool off at the giant mud slide, mud volcano, and mud pie kitchen.
For this year's MudFest, Montgomery Parks has partnered with the county's Department of Health and Human Services to bring in four new event sponsors:
American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) - Montgomery County Chapter
Maryland Orthopedic Association (MOA)
Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) - DMV Chapter
Maryland Optometric Association (MOA)
According to the National Institutes for Health (NIH), events involving extensive contact with mud have been implicated in multiple infectious disease outbreaks. Soils and mud contain rich microbial communities, viruses, bacteria, and parasites, offering high risk of infection.
While most people recover from mud-based infections quickly, the elderly and young are prone to more serious complications from bacterial and parasitic diseases, which can enter through exposed skin or hand-to-mouth contact, according to the CDC. Photo credit: Montgomery Parks.
"We are thrilled to support MudFest!" exclaimed Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology President S.T Helminth, PhD. "Our members will be on hand offering free Albendazole and Mebendazole samples, and on-site stool analysis too!"
While some mud-based events rely on soil processed to remove debris and pathogens, MudFest organizers say Montgomery County's mud is all natural with only horse-manure compost additives. "By using the equestrian center lawn, we also celebrate Montgomery County's pathogenic diversity," according to a Parks spokesperson.
"That's why MudFest attendees should be sure to stop by the American College of Gastroenterology booth for free electrolyte drinks, travel-size Imodium A-D samples, and complimentary 30-day supplies of probiotics," said ACG Chairwoman Di Sentery, PhD.
Experts recommend wearing eye protection when playing in the mud. Photo credit: Montgomery Parks.
The Maryland Optometric Association is sponsoring a free eyewash at MudFest. Eye injuries are commonly associated with mud-based events. Mud and debris can enter the eye, causing irritation, corneal abrasions, and infections. A north Texas woman went blind in one eye just 12 hours after getting a flesh-eating bacterium at a mud run in 2015.
While falling in the mud is fun, MudFest attendees should be prepared for anything. Twisted ankles, sprains and pulled muscles are among the injuries most commonly sustained at muddy events. In 2012, 26 people were hospitalized after a mud-based event in Wisconsin, including one with a fractured neck vertebra.
"Come visit the Maryland Orthopedic Association at MudFest!" says MOA executive director Armand Fraktour. "Pick up our Montgomery County provider list and take advantage of free ankle wraps and wrist braces for those with qualifying insurance."
While Montgomery County officials acknowledge the risks associated with MudFest and have published a “Mud-iquette” list of safety guidelines, they say there is plenty of evidence on Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s X feed to the contrary. "The NIH and CDC sites are about to get their Trump administration DEI purges. We expect the concerns about mud to be gone by MudFest," a county spokesperson said.
