Diarrhea and Spreading Illness at the Pool
Most outbreaks of diarrhea associated with treated recreational water (pools, spas, splash pads, interactive fountains) appear to be related to fecal contamination of the water by someone who is ill with diarrhea. In addition, tiny amounts of fecal matter are rinsed off all swimmers' bottoms as they swim through the water. Infectious diarrhea can contain hundreds of millions to a billion germs in a single fecal accident. For any public swimming facility, continuous filtration and disinfection of water should reduce the risk of spreading illness. However, patrons may still be exposed to germs during the time it takes for chlorine to work or for water to be recycled through filters. Many pools use one filtration system for several pools. This causes water from many pools to mix quickly, and potentially spread germs throughout connected pools in a very short amount of time. If other patrons then swallow the contaminated water, they may become infected and develop diarrhea or other illnesses. Since many illnesses can be spread by swallowing just a few germs, it is possible that a single diarrheal accident can contaminate water throughout the largest pool or waterpark.
For more information on diarrhea click on http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/parasiticpathways/diarrhea.htm
Or look up diarrhea on our Healthy Swimming A-Z list.
Page last modified: March 23, 2007