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Cracking down on recreation water infection

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), for the period there were 90 outbreaks connected with swimming in water contaminated with microbes or hazardous chemicals.

These 90 outbreaks affected some 1,788 people. Of these, there were 95 people with need to go to hospital, and, tragically, one fatality.

The majority of the cases were due to the chemicals used to treat the water. Chemical toxicity accounted for 77 percent of the issues. The types of chemicals involved were halogens like chlorine and bromine.

Next on the list came infections from the microscopic parasite Cryptosporidium. This organism is adept at surviving chemically treated water. The key preventative measure is with not filling a swimming pool up with contaminated water in the first place. The organism can be eliminated through filtration. Cryptosporidium can cause gastrointestinal illness with diarrhea a prominent feature.

Other contamination events were fecal, largely the result of swimmer undertaking unsanitary practices whilst using the facilities.

To help reduce instances of public swimming area contamination, the CDC has produced an information leaflet. The advice in the document includes:

Keep the pee, poop, sweat, and dirt out of the water!
Don’t swim if you have diarrhea.
Shower before you get in the water.
Don’t pee or poop in the water.
Don’t swallow the water.
Every hour—everyone out!
Take kids on bathroom breaks
Check diapers, and change them in a bathroom or diaper-changing area to keep germs away from the water.

Following this will lead to a drop in diseases developed from bathing in communal areas.

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Written By

Dr. Tim Sandle is Digital Journal's Editor-at-Large for science news. Tim specializes in science, technology, environmental, business, and health journalism. He is additionally a practising microbiologist; and an author. He is also interested in history, politics and current affairs.

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