School’s out for the summer! If you have kids or grandkids, there’s a good chance you’ll be heading to the pool to cool off on a hot summer day in the near future. Don’t have a pool in your backyard? There’s likely a local pool nearby, waiting to host plenty of family fun days this summer. If you’ve ever found yourself looking around at all the little kids playing and swimming at the local pool, then wondering just how clean the water is, your concerns are in fact valid. When it comes to local pools, what you can’t see can actually hurt you.
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Waterborne parasite infections are on the rise. According to the CDC, between 2000 and 2014, a total of 492 disease outbreaks were sourced to public pools and hot tubs. In all, these waterborne outbreaks lead to 27,219 illnesses and eight deaths. The primary culprit was Crypto — a diarrheal disease caused by microscopic parasites called Cryptosporidium.
Crypto is spread through exposure to feces. Your hands can become contaminated by touching objects that others touched with infected hands, such as stair railings, elevator buttons, doorknobs or baby toys. You can contract Crypto by touching your mouth with contaminated hands or by swallowing contaminated pool water.
While swimming is a favorite summer pastime, it’s always best to use caution. It’s important to note that Crypto parasites can live in the intestines of both humans and animals, be passed through their feces and remain in peoples’ small intestines for as long as two weeks, causing symptoms to reappear off and on for days. Common symptoms of waterborne parasite infections include cramps, nausea, vomiting, fever and dehydration.
To help combat Crypto and other waterborne parasite infections:
• Teach your children not to swallow water when swimming
• Take your children on bathroom breaks every hour and check diapers in the designated changing area
• Keep your children out of the pool if they have diarrhea or have had diarrhea in the past two weeks
• Avoid using pool toys that might encourage your child to get water in their mouth, such as cups and buckets
• Shower before and after entering the pool or hot tub
• Teach your children to never use the bathroom in the pool