NJ's Swimming Pools Have Diarrhea-Causing 'Poop Water,' DOH Says

The water in your local New Jersey swimming pool and water park may look clean and clear, but those pristine-looking fun spots are where most people catch bugs associated with summertime parasites.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a warning now that public health officials say at least 41 states, including New Jersey, have seen a sharp rise in cryptosporidium, or crypto.

The parasite can cause weeks-long bouts with diarrhea. In New Jersey, the number of cases have tripled.

In raw terms, new data from the CDC and the N.J. Department of Health shows a strong likelihood that people are spreading the disease, which can cause “profuse, watery diarrhea” for up to three weeks, by jumping into the water too soon after they’ve been sick.

In New Jersey, 664 cases of crypto were reported from 2011 through 2017, according to the NJDOH. There were 198 cases in 2016 and 135 in 2017, the most recent years available – effectively tripling what New Jersey had in 2011, when there were 56.

When the poop of humans and animals infected with the parasite gets in the water — even chlorinated water, where it can survive for up to seven day — others can become sick if they swallow the contaminated water, the CDC said.

Nationally, the CDC said 35 percent of outbreaks of cryptosporidiosis were linked to treated swimming pools and water playgrounds from 2009 to 2017. Crypto outbreaks increased nationally annually at an average rate of 13 percent, and nearly 7,500 people overall were sickened over that period.

New Jersey did not report its numbers to the CDC, but the state Department of Health provided data for every year from 2011 through 2017.

• 2011 56
• 2012 42
• 2013 70
• 2014 77
• 2015 86
• 2016 198
• 2017 135

In New Jersey, officials said the parasite can be spread in several different ways, but water –drinking water and recreational water such as pools and waterparks – is the most common way to spread the parasite. Symptoms may include diarrhea, stomach cramps, vomiting and fever.

Although cryptosporidiosis is almost never fatal, one person in the U.S. died over the past 10 years and 287 others required hospitalization.

The CDC report released on Friday also showed that, nationally, during the period of 2009-2017:

• More than a third of the cases of crypto were in swimming pools, kiddie pools and water playgrounds;
• At least 22 cases originated from untreated water, such as lakes;
• At least 86 cases involved contact with animals, mostly cattle;
• At least 57 cases were associated with child-care settings;
• At least 22 cases were food-borne, most involving unpasteurized milk or apple cider;
• Most cases were reported in the months of July and August, and 2016 was the peak year for outbreaks.

Crypto is a challenging parasite to control because it has a protective outer shell that makes it difficult to kill. And not only can it survive for days in chlorinated pools and water playgrounds or on surfaces disinfected with chlorine bleach, it only takes a few germs to make someone sick.

“There can be millions of crypto germs in poop,” the CDC said. “Someone sick with crypto can have diarrhea for up to three weeks.”

The agency recommends that people not swim for at least two weeks after their last bout with diarrhea.

That’s important because nearly a quarter of Americans say they would jump into a swimming pool within 24 hours of a bout with diarrhea, according to a survey released last month by the Water Quality & Health Council. That report also found 51 percent of Americans report using a swimming pool as a communal bathtub, either using swimming a substitute for showering or using it to rinse off after strenuous work.

The public at large has a responsibility to control the spread of crypto, the CDC said.

“Young children can get seriously sick and easily spread crypto,” Michele Hlavsa, a registered nurse who heads the agency’s Healthy Swimming Program, said in a statement. “They don’t know how to use the toilet and wash their hands, or are just learning how. But we as parents can take steps to help keep our kids healthy in the water, around animals, and in childcare.”

The agency advises:

• Do not swim or let kids swim if they have diarrhea; if diagnosed with cryptosporidiosis, do not swim until two weeks after diarrhea completely stops.
• Do not swallow the water you swim in.
• Keep kids sick with diarrhea at home and away from child care.
• Wash your hands with soap and water after coming in contact with animals or anything in their environment, especially animal poop. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers do not work effectively on crypto.
• Remove shoes worn in the animal environments (for example, in barns) before going inside your home.
• If you drink milk or apple cider, only buy if it has been pasteurized.