Healthy and Safe Swimming Week

Healthy and Safe Swimming Week is recognized May 22-28, 2017.

This year's theme is "Diarrhea & Swimming Don't Mix."  Many people think chlorine will kill all disease-causing organisms in water instantly, but some can survive days in properly chlorinated pools.  One diarrhea-causing disease, Crytosporidium or "Crypto," can survive in an adequately chlorinated pool for more than one week.

Some steps you can take to protect your family and others from diarrhea-related illness at the pool this summer include:

• Stay out of the water if you are sick with diarrhea.  Swim diapers will not contain diarrhea if a child has an accident in the pool.
• Don't poop in the water.
• Don't swallow the water.
• Immediately report to pool staff if you or your child has a diarrhea-related accident while swimming.

Have your children get out of the pool once every hour, and:

• Take your children to the bathroom.
• Check diapers and, if needed, change them in a bathroom or a diaper changing area.  Do not change diapers poolside - keep feces away from the pool.

Information courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC).