Swimming and water activity!  What a wonderful way for individuals, families, and kids of all ages to spend quality time together.  It's also a fun way to stay active, burn calories, and manage weight.

Along with water fun, however, comes responsibility.  Not only in water safety, but disease prevention as well. Everyone who owns, manages, or uses the swimming pool or other water facility has the responsibility to make sure it is safe for everybody.

During the past several decades public health professionals and pool owners/operators have seen a dramatic increase in what is called Recreational Water Illness (RWI). These are diseases caused by parasites.  Sometimes parasites are called germs. The most commonly reported RWI is diarrhea. There are many diarrhea types of disease but the one associated with swimming and water parks is called Cryptosporidium. It has been nicknamed and shortened to Crypto, and there is a lot of it in Tooele County.

• Cryptosporidium, is a diarrheal disease caused by microscopic parasites
• Both the disease and the parasite are commonly known as "Crypto"
• It lives in the intestine of humans - it is passed through the "stool" when a person has a fecal bowel movement - in the toilet, or in the water
• It is most commonly spread when the infected person has diarrhea (a runny or watery bowel movement)
• It stays on the buttocks (bottom), and on everything it touches (including the hands of anyone who cleans up the diarrhea)
• Millions of Crypto germs are released in a bowel movement from an infected human
• If someone is ill with diarrhea and has a fecal "accident" in the pool millions of germs are released in the water
• It is dangerous to swim if someone has diarrhea even if they feel like they can control it - the parasite is still on their body and in their clothes
• Crypto can be found in soil, food, water, or surfaces that have been contaminated with the feces from infected humans
• Crypto is spread fecal/oral and is not transmitted in blood

These illnesses can be mild to moderate to severe in their disease potential.  In Tooele County they are most often seen in:

 community swimming pools
 water parks
 hot tubs
 streams

Anyone can pick up an RWI disease and it's easier than you think:

Swallowing water which has been contaminated with crypto
Touching a water toy or anything else near the water which has germs on it and then putting your hand in your mouth, or rubbing your eyes or ears puts you at risk
The germ can even enter the body through a sore on the skin