Visitors to public swimming pools are being urged to follow healthy hygiene practices following several outbreaks of gastroenteritis (gastro).
This year, hundreds of people across Melbourne have been diagnosed with cryptosporidiosis (crypto), with many cases linked to the use of public swimming pools.
The risk appears to be greatest for young children who attend swimming lessons with other children and who are more likely to swallow pool water, and for the household contacts of people who develop the illness.
Crypto is highly resistant to the levels of chlorine normally found in swimming pools and public health investigations have found people attending pools while infectious.
To avoid being infected or infecting others:
- Do not swim in a pool if you have diarrhoea or have had diarrhoea in the past two weeks
- Shower and wash with soap, especially your bottom, before swimming
- Avoid swallowing pool water
- Wash hands with soap after going to the toilet, changing a nappy, handling animals or before preparing food or drink
- Change nappies in nappy change areas only
- Keep children home from childcare or school until 24 hours free of symptoms.
Additional information on crypto and healthy swimming can be found here.