There may be shit in the water you swim in, so do not swallow it, says the CDC

Every summer, disease control and prevention centers turn to the disgusting state of American swimming holes – and their latest survey traced thousands of infections in lakes, rivers and streams. l & # 39; ocean.

A team of researchers analyzed 140 outbreaks that killed nearly 5,000 people and even killed two swimmers between 2000 and 2014. Public parks and beaches accounted for about two-thirds of outbreaks, according to the latest study by CDC . and weekly report on mortality . And the majority of these outbreaks occurred during the summer months – just when water is most inviting.

The most common infections that CDC has revealed are due to the ingestion of water polluted by poo. Most of them cause diarrhea – norovirus, bacterial infections like Shigella and E. coli and parasites like Cryptosporidium have all been reported . People have also had itchy rashes through parasites called avian schistosomes, which usually infect birds and a specific species of snail. But worms can also move into human skin and cause a rash before the lost parasites die. And toxic algae blooms swam swimmers in a handful of outbreaks.

Not all are diarrhea and rash; two people died of infections with a brain-eating amoeba called Naegleria fowleri . To avoid this, the study's authors say, use a nose clip to keep your nostrils closed and not soak your head under water while swimming in warm fresh water and springs hot.

It' s enough to make you want to stay out of the water, d & # 39; as much as it is not just lakes, rivers and oceans. A CDC report released in May found nearly 500 outbreaks that disgusted more than 27,200 people in pools, spas and water parks. A third of them were in hotels, motels, inns and lodges. The main culprits included bacteria that cause dangerous pneumonia called Legionnaire's disease; Pseudomonas, which causes a rash and swimmer's ear; and, again, the parasite responsible for diarrhea, Cryptosporidium .

Most of these infections develop in dirty water (although Crypto can survive even in chlorinated pools). And it's particularly alarming given that in 2016, the CDC reported health or safety violations in 80% of public water facilities in five different states. Most were due to inadequate disinfection, and the worst violations were in the children's pools. Gross.

Of course, disinfection can cause problems, according to another CDC report . This one investigated strange symptoms in an indoor water park in Ohio, where employees reported breathing difficulties, eye burns and vomiting. The CDC finally concluded that chlorine disinfectants react with proteins from urine, sweat, dead skin and lotions from swimmers. The chemical reaction combined with a broken ventilation system and created a harmful cloud that employees then inhaled.

So what does a swimmer do? First, pay attention to the signs, says the latest CDC report. If a sign says not to swim, then does not. swim. Also, if you have diarrhea or have recently had diarrhea, do not lower your infectious body in a water plan shared with other people. Of course, on the outside, in lakes, ponds, rivers and the ocean, feces can enter the water even without anyone bumping into it actively. . For example, rainwater runoff can dump human and animal excreta into the water. As well as floods, wastewater treatment plant discharges and boats.

As a general rule, if the water seems coarse, do not bathe there, especially if there are already dead fish, according to the study. And even if it looks perfect, do not swallow it, and certainly do not sniff it. Good swimming!