Your Summer Beach Trip Could Put You at Risk of Getting Sick. Here ’s What You Need to Know

A sunburn may not be the only health consequence of your summer beach trips and pool days. A study published last year estimated that recreational water activities are related to 90 million illnesses each year in the U.S., with swimming as one of the primary catalysts of water-borne respiratory, ear and skin infections. Less frequently, according to federal data, pathogens found in pools, lakes, rivers and oceans can lead to more serious sickness, including gastrointestinal illnesses and—in very rare cases—exposure to flesh-eating bacteria. This month, for example, a Florida woman died from a flesh-eating bacterial infection after falling and scraping her leg on the beach. While dramatic cases like that are very rare, swimming-related illnesses are in general not uncommon, says Dr. Seetha Lakshmi, an associate hospital epidemiologist at Tampa General Hospital and an assistant professor at University of South Florida Health. That’s especially true for pregnant women, young children and those who have compromised immune systems. That said, anyone can get sick from water-borne illness. Here’s what you need to know before your next beach, pool or lake trip. Pools As recent U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data show, swimming pools are a major driver of water-borne illnesses in the states. Chemically treated waters like pools are a common point of exposure to Cryptosporidium, a fecal parasite that can cause a gastrointestinal disease c...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized Infectious Disease Source Type: news