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HEALTH & SAFETY
Swimming has historically been associated with
exercise and health. The ability to swim builds
self-confidence and leads to a wide variety of other
aquatic related activities. However, the water and
sometimes the air above the water can contribute to
unhealthy conditions for the bathers in your
swimming pool unless proper water quality management
is maintained.
Preventing people from
getting sick due to contact or ingestion of
contaminated water is the primary reason why
swimming pools are constantly treated with
disinfectants. Gastroenteritis-related disease
outbreaks remain the most common of swimming pool
related illnesses.
Gastroenteritis is a
stomach and intestinal disease that can range from a
minor stomachache and diarrhea to death. Most
gastroenteritis outbreaks in water are caused by
accidental fecal releases (AFRs) in or around
the swimming pool. Cryptosporidium and Pseudomonas
are the leading cause of gastroenteritis.
Cryptosporidium
parvum (Crypto) is a protozoan and is mainly
distributed through diarrhea, which can dilute in
the pool water and be less noticeable. The infective
stage of the organism, the oocyst,
measures 4 to 6 microns in diameter or about
the size of a red blood cell and is resistant to
chlorine. Ingestion of fewer than 10 oocysts can
result in cryptosporidium. Infection typically lasts
10 to 14 days. The symptoms include diarrhea,
vomiting, fever, and abdominal cramps.
Pseudomonas
aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen of
humans that causes urinary tract infections,
respiratory system infections, dermatitis, and soft
tissue infections. It tolerates a wide variety of
physical conditions, including temperature, and is
notorious for its resistance to antibiotics.
Like Crypto,
Giardia lamblia is also a protozoon. Giardia
is the most frequent cause of non-bacterial diarrhea
in North America. It is spread via contaminated food
and water and by direct person-to-person contact. In
swimming pools, it is mainly distributed through
solid stool. Although easier to remove solid stool,
once seen in the pool, all bathers should leave and
the entire body of water should be considered
contaminated. Infection typically lasts 1 to 2 weeks
and the symptoms are similar to Crypto. Giardia has
become recognized as one of the most common causes
of waterborne disease (drinking and waterborne) in
humans in the United States.
In addition to Crypto
and Giardia, diseases such as E coli and Hepatitis A
can be serious risks to bathers in the event of an
AFR. At Amazing Pools & Spas, Inc., we use this
knowledge to battle all risks that may be present in
your swimming pool.
Aside from threats to
your health, we try to take preventative measures to
avoid threats to your safety, such as
entrapment, proper pool bonding,
proper storage of chemicals,
health codes, diving board removal,
and more.
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