Don't Poop in the Pool, Please: Covering Cryptosporidiosis and Swimming Pool Safety
From the annals of gross but important stories – now, with a summer news peg! – comes a new CDC MMWR report showing a striking 62 percent increase in the number of cryptosporidiosis cases from 2006 to 2008. Because cryptosporidiosis is a waterborne disease, this basically suggests that more kids are swimming in pools or playing in other water tainted with enough cryptosporidium protozoa (parasites) to make them sick.
Also known as "crypto," cryptosporidiosis is a nasty gastrointestinal infection that can cause vomiting, nausea and diarrhea. It can be fatal in immune-compromised people. Crypto infections have been on the rise for years, according to the CDC, and it's partly because of better reporting and partly because of improperly maintained swimming pools, interactive fountains, water parks and other public water sources. Chlorine resistance among the cryptosporidium protozoa also plays a role.
This is a compelling news peg for a great public health story: examining the safety of public pools and other public water sources in your community. How do you get started?
1. Start with the MMWR report and note its limitations. More public health agencies are now reporting crypto infections than in earlier years, which helps explain part – but not all – of the increase. The study's authors also caution against comparing states against each other.
2. Check with your local public health department. Crypto is a reportable disease, and your local official can provide you with statistics. Ask about any changes in how cases are reported and any notable outbreaks.
3. Check with your local environmental health department. This may be a separate department in your county or city. Who does pool or other public water source inspections? How frequent are the inspections? In Santa Clara County a few years back, pool inspections declined by 28 percent in five years (sorry, story's behind a paywall) because of budget cuts, increasing fears of disease outbreaks.
4. Overcrowding. Are public pools, water parks or in your community too crowded? Too many swimmers can tax chlorine's ability to keep pools clean.
5. Diaper police. Is anyone monitoring whether naked toddlers or children in regular (not swim) diapers are playing in pools or other water sources? Not to put too fine a point on it, but poop is a primary way that cryptosporidium protozoa get into the water. Every year, those popular splash fountains in cities around the country are closed because of fecal contamination.
6. Beyond chlorine. The rise of chlorine-resistant cryptosporidium protozoa is prompting some local governments and pool owners to use other ways to clean the water, like ultraviolet light. What's happening locally?
More reporting resources:
CDC's Cryptosporidiosis Information Page
MMWR: Cryptosporidiosis Outbreaks Associated with Recreational Water Use - Five States, 2006
About.com: Keeping your child safe from cryptosporidium exposure in swimming pools
The Wall St. Journal: Battling the Parasite in Your Local Pool