May 19, 2008

Preventing Recreational Water Illnesses (RWIs)

With swimming season around the corner, the Nassau County Department of Health reminds residents of the importance of healthy swimming behaviors in preventing recreational water illnesses (RWIs).

RWIs are illnesses that are spread by swallowing, breathing, or having contact with contaminated water from swimming pools, hot tubs, decorative water fountains, spas, lakes, rivers or oceans.  RWI can cause a wide variety of symptoms, including gastrointestinal, skin, ear, respiratory, eye, neurologic and wound infections.  The most commonly reported RWI is diarrhea.  Diarrheal illnesses can be caused by germs such as Cryptosporidium (Crypto), Giardia, Shigella, norovirus and E. coli 0157:H7.

Chlorine in properly disinfected pools kills most germs that can cause RWIs in less than an hour.  However, chlorine takes longer to kill some germs, such as Crypto, which can survive for days in even a properly disinfected pool.  To insure that pool facilities are properly maintained, every year the Nassau County Department of Health inspects 277 facilities with 494 pools which are enjoyed by thousands of bathers annually.  In 2007, there were a total of 628 inspections of Nassau County pool faculties.

Lakes, rivers and oceans also can become contaminated with germs from sewage, animal waste, water runoff following rainfall, fecal accidents and germs rinsed off the bottoms of swimmers.  It is important to avoid swallowing the water because natural recreational water is not disinfected.  Avoid swimming in these areas after rainfalls or in areas not permitted by the health department. Even in permitted areas, bathing may be prohibited by the health department after heavy rainfalls.  In 2007, 23 of the 62 permitted beaches in Nassau County were closed to swimming as a precaution after heavy rainfalls. Although there have not been any recent outbreaks of RWI in Nassau County, the number of cases nationwide is increasing according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Healthy swimmers can get sick from RWIs, but  children, pregnant women and immunosuppressed persons are especially at risk.  Even with health department inspections and pool facilities regulations, one of the best ways to help reduce the incidents of RWI is to follow these recommendations when swimming in a pool:

• Do not swim when you or a family member has diarrhea, especially infants and children in diapers.
• Do not swallow pool water or get pool water in your mouth.
• You and your family members should shower before swimming.
• Wash your hands after using the toilet or changing diapers.
• Take children on bathroom breaks or change diapers often.
• Change children’s diapers in a bathroom, not at poolside.

For additional information, call the Nassau County Department of Health at (516) 227-9717. 

Additional information may be found on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website at www.cdc.gov/healthswimming/