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Don't Get Sick at the Swimming Pool this Summer

The Center for Disease Control is warning people about parasites in public pools. The week leading up to Memorial Day has been declared National Recreational Water Illness Prevention Week. In 2007, the CDC had a record number of complaints about illnesses from recreational water sources – including swimming pools, spas, lakes, rivers, and the ocean. Recreational water illnesses are spread by swallowing or breathing in the germs that some of these waters carry.

So far this year, the CDC has received reports of 21 outbreaks of cryptosporidium (“crypto”), which is the leading cause of recreational water illnesses. The vast majority of the complaints have been traced back to chlorine-treated pools, water parks, or other recreational water facilities.

Crypto is a microscopic parasite that causes diarrhea. Unlike most parasites, crypto has a hard outer shell that allows it to survive in chlorine treated water. The outer shell also allows it to survive in your body for a long period of time once you contract it. Crypto can last from one to three weeks inside your body and will cause diarrhea, stomach cramps, dehydration, nausea, vomiting, and fever.

The baby pool can be an especially heavy area for crypto infection. Because people often let their children in the baby pool with diapers or without proper cleaning, the baby pool can become a cesspool for illnesses. Also, young children are more likely to drink or swallow pool water than adults are. Please be especially careful with your children’s hygiene this summer.

Seven Tips for Avoiding Waterborne Illnesses

Because even chlorine-treated water doesn’t prevent against all these problems, the CDC has released the following seven tips for avoiding illness:

1. Don’t swallow pool water and do your best to avoid getting it in your mouth

2. Shower before swimming

3. Wash your hands after using a toilet or changing diapers

4. If you have diarrhea, don’t swim. Don’t get back in a public water source for two weeks after the diarrhea ends.

5. Take your kids on bathroom breaks often

6. Change diapers in a bathroom or diaper-changing area away from the pool

7. Wash the child thoroughly with soap and water before returning them to the pool

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