SALT LAKE CITY — Few things could bring more welcome relief and fun to a hot Utah summer day than spending time at a community swimming pool or a local water park. That is, unless that trip results in a mean case of diarrhea that lasts for days or weeks afterward.
Local health officials are warning summer water enthusiasts about the hazards of spreading potentially dangerous germs at enclosed water recreation locations.
During the latter half of 2007, Utah experienced a large communitywide outbreak of cryptosporidiosis — a disease that causes severe and debilitating diarrhea, lasting two weeks or more — with the majority of cases reported in Salt Lake County.
Statewide, more than 1,900 people became infected with cryptosporidium, or "crypto," making the 2007 outbreak the largest in the country that year and one of the largest outbreaks in U.S. history.
Since then, area health advocates have waged an ongoing effort to prevent a repeat of that disastrous outbreak.
"We were really fortunate in 2008 and 2009, when we only had a handful of (crypto) cases," said Dr. Dagmar Vitek, deputy director of the Salt Lake Valley Health Department. So far this year, there have been 21 cases reported in Utah, with three in Salt Lake County, according to Vitek.
She said the best preventive measures include frequent handwashing and taking children to the restroom often to avoid in-water accidents.
"Don't change diapers by the pool; take them to the bathroom," Vitek said. "What is also very important is taking showers before people go to the pool."
She added that washing a child's bottom before returning to the water is also essential to preventing potential outbreaks.
Crypto is a resilient parasite that can survive up to two weeks after the diarrhea ends, Vitek noted. She warned that people who contract the illness should avoid exposing others by staying away from pools and water parks for a few weeks after they have returned to good health.
"The problem with crypto is that it is extremely infectious, resistant to chlorine, and it is released in the stool even when you are asymptomatic or after your symptoms stop," Vitek said. While most people who contract crypto are typically sick for a few days and get better with no medical treatment, some people become so ill they require hospitalization.
Vitek said vigilant hygiene practices and common sense should go a long way to preventing a major outbreak this summer.
"If you were swimming in a pool and think you have some symptoms, go to a (medical) provider and ask them to test you," she said.
"If (the results are) positive, there is a medication they can give you."
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