Your child may be vying to go to the public pool during the hot summer days, as playing outside becomes uncomfortably hot. Public pools seem relatively safe, as your child will be under constant watch of a local lifeguard, surrounded by the company of neighbors. You may jump at the chance to get some much-needed sun, reclining in a lounge chair at the pool’s edge. However, public pools are literally swimming with bacteria that can cause infectious and even some life-threatening diseases.

1. Shigellosis

   Shigella is a family of bacteria that causes severe diarrhea with sudden onset. The disease caused by Shigella is called Shigellosis; it’s acquired by ingesting these bacteria. In public pools, Shigellosis can be a problem because it is present in the human stools and can still be transmitted for up to two weeks after the person is no longer sick. Fox19 reported on the recent problem with Shigellosis in Northern Kentucky, which has forced the Northern Kentucky Health Department to place strict regulations on public pools. Toddlers who have not been fully potty-trained are no longer allowed, even with swimming diapers on, as more than 60 cases have been reported this swimming season alone. Additionally, Dr. Lynne Saddler, who is District Director of Health in Northern Kentucky, advises anyone who had had diarrhea in the past few weeks to keep out of public pools, for the safety of the community.

2. Giardiasis

   Like Shigella, Giardia is another germ that causes diarrhea through ingestion. It is found in the fecal matter of infected individuals. Giardia is a tough bacterium, able to withstand up to 45 minutes in a fully chlorinated pool. The Center for Disease Control’s website states that Giardia is not passed by blood, but by somehow ingesting water, food, or other things that have come in contact with the fecal particles of an infected person. Children can easily spread it into the water if they do not wipe properly, have an accident, or simply don’t maintain good hygiene. Parents must also do their part by not taking a child that has had diarrhea symptoms to the public pool, where they can likely spread any illnesses to other swimmers.

3. Pseudomonas

   Pseudomonas can be found in soil and live in harsh conditions, giving it a resistance to most antibiotics. Once in water or other containments, it can multiply. Although it is mainly problematic for those with weak immune systems, children, or elderly, it isn’t a disease you’d like to get from your local pool. Pseudomonas can cause a myriad of problems, such as urinary tract infections, sepsis, pneumonia, pharyngitis. Between 1999 and 2000, there was an outbreak of Pseudomonas in Colorado and Maine as a result of using public pools and hot tubs in the area. Likewise, the State of Alaska Epidemiology Bulletin noted 24 cases of Pseudomonas at a hot spring resort in central Alaska. Those infected developed a rash. Five of the infected swimmers sought medical attention for their maladies. Unsurprisingly, Pseudomonas aeruginosa was found in the pool filter. It can be tracked in by dirty feet that have come in contact with soil carrying the bacteria and is also transmissible through skin.

4. Legionnaires’ disease

   Legionnaires’ disease is a type of pneumonia that is contracted by contact with the bacteria Legionella. Legionella is mainly found in warm water, which could be anything from your home bath tub to public pools and adjacent hot tubs. Within two to 10 days of exposure to the bacteria, Legionnaires’ disease presents symptoms of energy loss, headache, nausea, aching muscles, high fever, and chest pain, which may escalate to worse symptoms and death if the body can’t fight it. Contrary to common thought, it is not a rare disease, but merely goes unreported or undiagnosed often. You may contract Legionnaires’ disease at your public pool if you inhale airborne water droplets containing the bacteria legionellae. It may also enter the body via skin wounds, and some believe it can be ingested through drinking contaminated water.

5. Cryptosporidiosis

   Food Safety News reported a serious outbreak of Crypto in four regions of England, amounting to 267 cases in less than a month. Cryptosporidiosis, or Crypto, is an illness caused by the Cryptosporidium parasite, which can be found in soil, food, water, or other areas that have come in contact with infected fecal matter. It is most commonly transmitted by swallowing pool water containing traces of the parasite. Aside from life-threatening diarrhea, Crypto is marked by stomach pains, dehydration, weight loss and fever, and symptoms may persist for as many as three weeks. Generally, a healthy individual will overcome the illness in a month, but those with compromised immune systems that can’t pass the parasite may die from the illness. The disease attacks the epithelial cells of the digestive tract as well as cells in the respiratory tract. In undeveloped countries, the prevalence of Crypto is five times more likely.

6. Keratitis caused by Acanthamoeba

   One of the more frightening parasites that can be transmitted via your public pool is Acanthamoeba, a free-living organism that makes its way into the human eye while you’re in water. In rare cases, they may enter the eye through contact solution. However, most Acanthamoeba make their way through the water of public pools or lakes where humans swim. Keratitis is the disease that occurs when Acanthamoeba enter the eye; the amoeba secretes a protein that gradually wears down the surface of the cornea. Over time, the amoeba is able to feed on the eye’s bacteria and corneal cells, causing a multitude of symptoms. The infected human may complain of eye pain, redness in the eyes, blurred vision, and sensitivity to light, all of which are often attributed to a regular eye infection. Thus, when it is misdiagnosed for long enough, the infected person may go blind. If it isn’t diagnosed and treated early, it can be difficult to eradicate. Unfortunately, aside from maintaining good hygiene in the rare instance that the amoeba is transmitted through your contact solution, there isn’t much you can do to avoid coming in contact with Acanthamoeba.

7. Swimming pool granuloma

   Swimming pool granuloma is a serious infection caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium marinum. It presents itself as a skin condition, in which the bacteria passes through a break in the skin and causes lesions in the form of red bumps. These lesions may become purple nodules prone to breaking open to take the form of open sores. The elbows, hands, and knees are most commonly infected areas. If the sores burst, the body may be susceptible to other skin and bone infections, and it can take several months for antibiotics to have any effect. You may contract the illness as a result of exposure to public pools, but it is also prevalent in saltwater or with exposure to fish.