Pools - Cryptosporidium - Environmental Health (2024)

FAQs

Pools - Cryptosporidium - Environmental Health? ›

Crypto is spread by swallowing water that has been contaminated with fecal matter containing Crypto. You share the water—and the germs in it—with every person who enters the pool. If one person infected with Crypto has diarrhea in the water, the water can be contaminated with tens or hundreds of millions of germs.

Cryptosporidium outbreaks

Outbreaks are most commonly associated with swimming pools, but might also be an issue for farmyards where people have close contact with the animals, or in areas where drinking water has become contaminated. Outbreaks have also been linked to childcare settings such as nurseries.

Infected people and animals shed the protozoa in their feces; this contaminates the environment. Cryptosporidium can survive up to 2 to 6 months in damp environments.

Prevention of Cryptosporidiosis

The parasite can survive in chlorinated pool water for up to seven days. The disease can be especially harmful to children, so those infected should be kept out of child care centers until the sickness has subsided.

Cryptosporidium parvum, which is resistant to chlorine concentrations typically used in water treatment, is recognized as a significant waterborne pathogen. Recent studies have demonstrated that chlorine dioxide is a more efficient disinfectant than free chlorine against Cryptosporidium oocysts.

Cryptosporidium is spread through the feces of infected humans or animals. The main ways that people become infected with cryptosporidiosis include: Ingesting contaminated recreational water (swimming pools or water parks) Ingesting the parasite from untreated water such as a river or lake.

Swimmers are infected when they swallow contaminated pool water. This parasite causes diarrhea and abdominal upset. Other organisms that can infect swimmers are Hepatitis A (liver disease), Norwalk Virus (abdominal upset), Pseudomonas Bacteria (swimmer's rash) and Giardia (parasite).

Boiling (Rolling boil for 1 minute) has a very high effectiveness in killing Cryptosporidium; Filtration has a high effectiveness in removing Cryptosporidium when using an absolute less than or equal to 1 micron filter (NSF Standard 53 or 58 rated “cyst reduction / removal” filter);

Soak contaminated surfaces for 20 minutes with a 3% hydrogen peroxide (99% kill rate), and then rinse them thoroughly. No disinfectant is guaranteed to be completely effective against Cryptosporidium. However, hydrogen peroxide is more effective than standard bleach solutions.

Cryptosporidium oocysts can survive for months in moist soil or water and survive harsh environmental conditions (e.g. heat, cold) for extended periods of time.

What are the symptoms of swimming pool illness? ›

What are the symptoms? The most common symptoms of RWIs include diarrhea (sometimes bloody), vomiting, stomach cramps, loss of appetite, weight loss, and fever. Other RWIs can cause skin, ear, eye, respiratory, or neurologic symptoms.

While most types of germs are inactivated within minutes in a properly maintained pool or spray ground, some germs, such as Cryptosporidium (or Crypto) can live in properly treated water for days.

Pool Filtration System

A filter will help to remove impurities and cleanse the water so that it's safe to swim in (and free of those gross parasites). Running your filter can also help to maintain the chemical levels.

Sodium hypochlorite, peroxides, ozone, formaldehyde, and ammonia are suitable disinfectants against Cryptosporidium oocysts.

If a filter has an “absolute” pore size of 1 micron, for example, each and every one of the filter's pores is 1 micron or smaller. This means that any contaminant larger than 1 micron, like Cryptosporidium, will be caught in the filter and will not go into the filtered water.

Cryptosporidiosis will resolve on its own. In those who have a weak immune system, the focus of treatment is often on getting the immunity back. Otherwise, a medicine called nitazoxanide can be used to treat this parasite.

You can also get cryptosporidiosis from swimming in or drinking contaminated water. Occasionally you can be infected by eating contaminated food, including unwashed or unpeeled vegetables or salads or drinking contaminated raw milk. Cryptosporidium in manure can contaminate fields, rivers, and crops.

The most common swimming-related illnesses are diarrhea, skin rashes, swimmer's ear, pneumonia or flu-like illness, and irritation of the eyes or respiratory tract. You can get swimming-related illnesses if you swallow, have contact with, or breathe in mists of water contaminated with germs.

You can get cryptosporidiosis directly from another person or animal by touching faeces, (for example when changing a nappy) and putting your hands near or in your mouth without washing them thoroughly. You can also get cryptosporidiosis from infected animals or by swimming in, or drinking contaminated water.