SafetyIssues Personal and Public Safety News Articles: Is There Crypto in the Pool?

Is There Crypto in the Pool?
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Staff writer for safetyissues.com on 07/31/08 09:05:00
 
Crypto can make you quite ill with vomiting, headaches, and stomach cramps; in
severe cases, death can result. The illness may last for two weeks punctuated
with long spells of diarrhea.
The presence of crypto led health officials last week to temporarily close two
spray parks in Dallas for disinfection. About a month ago, 29 pools in Phoenix,
Arizona had to be shut down and disinfected after over 100 people became ill.
There were also crypto outbreaks in Utah last year that left almost 2,000 people
sick. In 2005, over 4,000 people had to get medical help in New York after an
outbreak at the Seneca Lake State Park. The worst ever outbreak occurred in 1993
in Milwaukee, when crypto infiltrated supplies of drinking water and ravaged
more than 400,000 people, leaving at least 100 dead.
In recent years, crypto outbreaks have spiked from a mere five in 2003 to 25 in
2007.
Cryptosporidium hominis is very resilient. Its thick outer membrane allows it to
resist bleach, chlorine or iodine at the dosage standards used for drinking
water or pool disinfection. Only much higher concentrations (which are unsafe
for humans) will kill crypto. It is very tiny (2-5 microns) therefore it can
easily pass through water filters with mesh sizes larger than 2 microns. It has
a special affinity for living in the human intestinal tract.
There is no vaccine or antibiotic against the bug. So far, the only effective
ways to eliminate crypto are to bring the water to a full boil and to use very
fine filters (less than 2 microns). These methods, unfortunately, are not
practical for use in disinfecting the huge volumes of water in pools, water
parks, or drinking water reservoirs.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says a shift in attitudes to
swimming among swimmers and pool officials is necessary to combat the pathogen.
Safety Tips:
* Refrain from swimming when sick with diarrhea. People will transmit the
disease if they swim when sick. Swim diapers or waterproof pants are not
designed to keep diarrhea contained.
* Shower before going into the swimming pool.
* Wash children thoroughly with soap and water before they enter the pool.
* Make sure to wash the hands thoroughly after using the toilet or changing
diapers.
* Never swallow pool water. Instruct your children to avoid swallowing water or
opening their mouths when hit by water sprays.