A good reason to avoid the pool this summer
May 17, 2013, 11:27 AM | Updated: 12:18 pm
The Centers for Disease Control has confirmed a fear for all germaphobes invited to pool parties: chances are good there’s fecal matter in the water.
The CDC says it found 58 percent of samples taken from pool filters last summer tested positive for E. coli, bacteria normally found in the human gut and feces.
“The E. coli is a marker for fecal contamination,” in case you forgot.
The CDC has determined the E. Coli is likely from a “fecal incident” in the water or from swimmers who aren’t washing off before entering the pool.
If there’s a silver lining to the study, none of the E. coli found lurking in the filters was the strain that causes illness, according to the CDC.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which can cause skin rashes and ear infections, was detected in 59 percent of samples. Cryptosporidium and Giardia, germs that are spread through feces and cause diarrhea, were found in less than 2 percent of samples.
The study didn’t include water parks.
To prevent dirtying the water, the CDC says the two most important steps to take:
Shower with soap before swimming and don’t swim if you have diarrhea.
