Do not swallow the water you swim in, and do not swim if you have diarrhea 鈥� That鈥檚 the message health officials are sharing ahead of the July Fourth holiday in hopes to stop the spread of a parasite that鈥檚 causing more Americans to get sick.
Data by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found an increase in the number of outbreaks of (or Crypto, for short) between 2009 and 2017. One-third of the 444 total outbreaks, which resulted in 7,465 people getting sick, were linked to pools and water playgrounds.
Michele Hlavsa, chief of the CDC鈥檚 , explained Crypto is a parasite that is found in the fecal matter of a person (or animal) who has been infected by Crypto. People can get sick after contact or after swallowing contaminated water or food. Just a few Crypto germs can cause diarrhea that lasts up to three weeks in healthy adults.
鈥淧eople with weakened immune systems, so people who take medications after organ transplants or people on chemotherapy, they might develop life-threatening symptoms. They might not be able to absorb nutrients anymore, they鈥檒l lose a massive amount of weight quickly, so this is a serious illness,鈥� Hlavsa said.
The parasite鈥檚 tough outer shell allows it to survive for a long time, even in chemically treated pools. Hlavsa said chlorine does not work instantly, and the 鈥渢he water we swim in is not sterile.鈥�
鈥淲hen it comes to Crypto, it can survive for seven or more days in a well-maintained pool,鈥� Hlavsa said.
鈥淪o we鈥檝e got to keep the Crypto out of the water to begin with, and that means not swimming with diarrhea and not letting our kids swim with diarrhea. And if we have to tell the public not to be swimming with diarrhea, we shouldn鈥檛 be swallowing the water we swim in.鈥�
Hlavsa鈥檚 other advice for the public? Wash your hands with soap and water.
鈥淭hose hand sanitizers that are based on alcohol, they don鈥檛 work against Crypto, so hand washing with soap and water is really important,鈥� she said.
鈥淲e find Crypto in the poop of infected animals and infected people, particularly young children, so wash your hands after touching animals or being in their living space; wash your hands after changing a diaper.鈥�
Even though a well-chlorinated pool does not guarantee a Crypto-free swimming experience, Hlavsa recommends checking inspection scores at public pools and playgrounds to make sure the water is treated appropriately.
鈥淲e want people to have a great time in the pool this summer 鈥� it鈥檚 a great way to be active and spend time with friends and family. We鈥檙e just asking people to do it in a healthier and safer way to share the fun and not the germs,鈥� Hlavsa said.
