June 2006

Kelum Pelpola
HEALTHY SWIM: Next time you may have to think twice before you leap into the swimming pool. The reason for this is that a new entity named recreational water illnesses (RWI) has been described.
RWI refers to any illness or infection caused by organisms that contaminate water in pools, lakes, and oceans, resulting in diarrhoea, skin rashes, swimmer’s ear and other conditions. And they are on the rise.
The rate has more than doubled in the past 10 years, according to data from the CDC(Centre for Disease Control in the USA).
However, there is definite good news. It’s that some simple precautions would help you keep these illnesses at bay. Even though you get the disease, by being alert, quick treatment could be taken and complications could be very easily avoided.Continue Reading Think twice before you leap into a pool

By CYNTHIA M. ELLIS
The Telegraph
You wouldnít think it’s possible that three bites of a hamburger from a fast-food restaurant would be fatal or that ordering a glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice could result in a miscarriage — but it has happened.
A 6-year-old California girl died several years ago when she ate a burger contaminated with E. coli bacteria. The orange juice made a Washington woman ill because it was not pasteurized.
Dining out is so commonplace — nearly one in two American adults eats out every day — and itís an experience that often is taken for granted.Continue Reading Foodborne illness can be deadly

23.jun.06
South Dakota State News Web
Dr. Lon Kightlinger, South Dakota Department of Health
PIERRE, S.D. ñ South Dakota has reported 54 cases of shigellosis so far in 2006, with 24 of those cases coming since June 1. A total of 131 cases were reported for all of 2005.
ìShigellosis is a fairly common bacterial disease affecting the intestinal tract. The single most important preventive measure for shigellosis is careful hand-washing after using the toilet,î said Dr. Lon Kightlinger, State Epidemiologist for the South Dakota Department of Health.
Dr. Kightlinger said the majority of recent cases have been in south central South Dakota in the counties of Todd, Tripp, Bennett, Shannon, Gregory, Charles Mix and Mellette. Most of the cases have been children in day care and their families. The median age of the cases is 5 years old and the range is 1 to 53 years. Half are male and half female and 87% are American Indian, 8% white, and 5% race unknown.Continue Reading Press release: Shigellosis cases increase

By Lois M. Collins
Deseret Morning News
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
The nearly 1,000 swimming pools in Salt Lake County ring out with laughter all summer long as swimmers splash and play away hot days in the cool waters of public, hotel and condo swimming pools. Similar scenes play out in virtually every community statewide.
But it’s likely that some of the revelers are doing other things, as well, a fact which keeps health inspectors and pool operators vigilant.
Recreational water illnesses, shorthanded to RWI, are on the rise nationwide, according to Salt Lake Valley Health Department officials. In a single outbreak, 3,800 swimmers in New York were affected and the pool was closed for almost a year. RWIs are caused by fecal matter in the pool.Continue Reading Healthy habits in pools stressed

20.jun.06
Emerging Infectious Diseases
Centers for Disease Control
David M. Hartley,*Comments Karl C. Klontz,Üá Patricia Ryan,ß and J. Glenn Morris Jr*
*University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA; ÜThe George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services, Washington, DC, USA; áUS Food and Drug Administration, College Park, Maryland, USA; and ßMaryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
To the Editor: Floret et al. argue convincingly that natural disasters, including severe floods and windstorms, tend not to result in epidemics of infectious disease (1). This conclusion is consistent with the lack of epidemics of shigellosis and cryptosporidiosis after hurricane rains in Baltimore, Maryland.
Shigellosis and cryptosporidiosis are associated with waterborne and foodborne transmission (2,3). We examined Baltimore shigellosis and cryptosporidiosis incidence to assess whether disease risk was related to temperature or rainfall from January 1, 1998, to December 31, 2004. Maryland FoodNet supplied case data; population estimates were acquired from the Maryland Department of Planning State Data Center; and meteorologic data for Baltimore Washington International airport (≈10 miles from the city center) were obtained from the National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration (4).Continue Reading Letter: Shigellosis and Cryptosporidiosis, Baltimore, Maryland

RWIs can be spread by swallowing, breathing or having contact with contaminated water
Monday, June 05, 2006
Gail Larkin
Staten Island Advance
We were enjoying the water of a local community pool on a hot sunny afternoon when the lifeguard blew the whistle. As he waved everyone out of the pool, I wondered what was going on. I looked around to see if storm clouds were building.
Perhaps we had missed hearing thunder; but the sky was clear without any sign of an approaching storm. A minute later we learned that feces had been found floating in the pool and we had to stay out of the water for several hours. It turned out to be the rest of the day.
Strict health guidelines mandated that the pool be doused with large quantities of chlorine followed by water testing. The lifeguards explained that the health protocols were such that closing the pool was not only mandatory but in everyone’s best interest.Continue Reading Be on guard against recreational water illness

By the Gazette-Times
With summer approaching, many people seek recreational activities on local waterways or backyard pools. Benton County Environmental Health officials encourage swimmers to practice healthy behaviors to prevent water illnesses.
Recreational water illnesses are spread by swimming in water contaminated as a result of poorly maintained recreational water venues, the presence of chlorine-resistant germs, or runoff-related contamination of lakes or beaches.
ìTemporary pools that are not properly disinfected and are used by a large number of people are a special concern, especially since the number of Norovirus outbreaks are on the rise in the state,î said Bill Emminger, environmental health deputy administrator.Continue Reading Health officials encouraging swim safety