The swimming pool is not always your friend, so be wary of a pool parasite
Lately, there have been lots of water-based bacteria cases and warnings popping up in the news. Now, the CDC issued out a warning for the newest parasitic threat in your swimming pool, Cryptosporidium.
This pool parasite, most easily known as ‘Crypto,’ is the cause of many diarrhea-type symptoms. The parasite is quite well-adapted, as it infects animals as well as humans. Further proof of its Darwinian prowess: it’s surprisingly resistant to chlorine disinfection, and it is protected by an outer shell that allows it to survive for longer periods of time. The pool parasite also causes vomiting, which then can lead to severe dehydration and loss of fluids that may require hospitalization.
Other parasites such as E.coli are easily disposed of in a chlorine treatment. However, these Crypto parasites can survive for up to ten days in chorine-treated water because of the aforementioned exterior shell.
Are the joys of swimming gone now?
Not necessarily; the key is to be careful and wary, especially with children. The chief of CDC’s Health Swimming Program, Michele Hlavsa, said “With these outbreaks, we can see they disproportionately affect young children. They’re the ones who can go to a pool and young children tend to carry lots of germs.”
There is also the consideration that young children’s immune systems are not up to snuff with full grown adults’ immune systems when it comes to taking on the pool parasite.
For the children’s sake, watch out for the pool parasite
Swimmers may bring this parasite into the pool with them if they have contracted it, and although it can be gone within a couple of weeks, those with weak immune systems may have more extreme, if not life-threatening, reactions. This is due to the loss of fluids from vomiting and diarrhea robbing your body of the nutrients it needs to function.
To help avoid contracting the pool parasite or having a close one catch the infection, there’s one main step to take- please check to see if the pool you’re thinking of going to was examined by the health department.
If you’re going to the pool as a way to get some healthy Sun exposure, there’s a way to do that indoors now, with the LifeLight.
CDC Says Beware of Pool Parasite
