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o one likes to talk about it. Everyone cringes at the thought of it. But it’s a topic that we can’t ignore if we want to be safe while swimming this summer. No, we’re not talking about drowning, slipping or lightning in this article … although those are important aspects of water safety. Recreational Water Illnesses (RWIs) — swimming pools, waterparks, hot tubs, lakes, rivers or the ocean — have contributed to 15,000 swimmers becoming ill from swimming during the past decade. You may have even seen headlines from a few celebrities whose children have been affected.
Avoiding the germs Germs leading to RWIs are spread by swallowing water contaminated with feces or by skin exposure to contaminated water. The most common waterborne germs spread through recreational water are “crypto” (KRIP-toe), short for Cryptosporidium, Giardia (gee-ARE-dee-uh), E. coli 0157:H7, and Shigella (Shi-GEL-uh), which can cause diarrheal illnesses and skin rashes. Body fluids, including blood, feces and vomit (not the kind associated with simply swallowing too much pool water) are all considered potentially contaminated with bloodborne germs. The good news is that germs causing RWIs are killed by chlorine. However, chlorine doesn’t work right away. Although some germs can live only minutes in chlorine, it takes time to kill germs, and germs like Crypto can live in pools for days even in the best maintained pools. A diarrheal fecal accident is a higher risk event than a formed stool accident. Generally, people have more germs in their stool when they are sick with diarrhea, so they can spread the illness easier. The numbers of germs in the stool decrease in the weeks following the end of diarrhea. Germs in diarrhea can contaminate the water
HOW TO AVOID POOLand make others sick who swallow the water. In fact, for those persons living with compromised immune systems, some illnesses could be life-threatening or fatal. Healthy swimming behaviors are needed to protect you and your family from RWIs and will help stop germs from getting in the pool in the first place. Here are six “P-L-E-As” that promote healthy swimming: PLEASE — don’t swim when you have diarrhea … this is especially important for kids in diapers. You can spread germs into the water and make other people sick. PLEASE — don’t swallow the pool water. In fact, try your best to avoid even having water get in your mouth. PLEASE — wash your hands with soap and water after using the toilet or after changing diapers. You can protect others by realizing that germs on your body end up in the water. PLEASE — take your kids on bathroom breaks often. Waiting to hear “I have to go” may mean that it’s too late. PLEASE — change diapers in a bathroom and not at poolside. Germs can spread to surfaces and objects in and around the pool and spread disease. Swim diapers are unlikely to prevent diarrhea (which may contain germs) from leaking into the pool. Even though diapers or swim pants may hold in some feces, they are not leak-proof and can still contaminate the pool water. Blue & You Summer 2003