'Crypto outbreak' is perpetuated by the public, officials say

Two new cases of cryptosporidium related to Salt Lake County community swimming pools that were recently super-chlorinated to kill the germ make health officials believe people are not heeding warnings not to go swimming when they're sick and for a while after.

"What this says is that while the pools are doing the best they can to stop the crypto outbreak, the public is not doing their very critical part. They continue to swim while sick or within two weeks of being sick, thereby causing recontamination of pools and illness in others," said Pam Davenport, spokeswoman for the Salt Lake Valley Health Department.

SLVHD and Salt Lake County Parks and Recreation are asking Utah residents to stay away from public pools when they are experiencing episodes of diarrhea. Utah County health officials have echoed those warnings. An increased number of cryptosporidium cases, which cause diarrhea, continue to be reported.

Cryptosporidium is found in stool and is a common water-borne illness in the United States. The illness is spread by swallowing recreational water that can be contaminated with feces from humans.

All of Salt Lake County's 19 swimming pools have been super-chlorinated, raising the chlorine level from 1 parts-per-million to 20 parts-per-million for eight to ten hours, then returning the chlorine level to safe levels for swimming. The county's indoor pools will be super-chlorinated a minimum of three times in the next two weeks, and the outdoor pools will be super-chlorinated twice. But even one person who swims sick will recontaminate a pool again.

• Don't swim when you have diarrhea;

• >Don't swallow pool water;

• Practice good hygiene. Shower before swimming and wash your hands after using the toilet or changing diapers.

• Take children on bathroom breaks from swimming and check diapers often

• Don't change diapers at poolside.

• Wash children thoroughly with soap and water before swimming.

For information about cryptosporidium, go online to www.cdc.gov/healthyswimming/ or www.slvhealth.org.