Health department warns Pueblo swimmers

Posted: Aug 6, 2011 4:36 AM by Andy Koen
Updated: Aug 6, 2011 9:39 AM

The Pueblo City County Health Department has issued a warning for swimmers after confirmed cases of cryptosporidium or "Crypto" in Pueblo residents. Crypto is a swimming pool water illness that causes diarrhea and abdominal cramping that can last for 1-2 weeks.

The individuals who tested positive for the disease recently swam in the Walsenburg Wild Waters pool. The parasite can stay alive for days even in well-maintained pools and is spread when people with diarrhea go swimming.

The health department has issued the following guidelines to prevent the spread of the Crypto outbreak:

Don't swim when you have diarrhea. You can spread germs in the water and make other people sick.
Don't swallow the pool water. Avoid getting water in your mouth.
Practice good hygiene. Shower with soap before swimming and wash your hands after using the toilet or changing diapers. Germs on your body end up in the water.

For parents of young children:

Take your kids on bathroom breaks or check diapers often. Waiting to hear "I have to go" may mean that it's too late.
Change diapers in a bathroom or a diaper-changing area and not at poolside. Germs can spread in and around the pool.
Wash your child thoroughly (especially the rear end) with soap and water before swimming. Invisible amounts of fecal matter can end up in the pool.
Wash your hands after going to the bathroom or changing diapers.

Click here for more information about cryptosporidium from the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention.