In response to a rise in confirmed cases of Cryptosporidium (almost 400 more cases this year than in normal years), the Utah Department of Health (UDOH) has asked public swimming pool managers to “take aggressive action to help stop the ongoing outbreak of Cryptosporidium infection. Most notably, public health officials are asking managers to restrict children under the age of five from swimming until the outbreak has subsided.”
We applaud the UDOH for taking this step and hope this reaction to the outbreak starts a debate regarding the health risks involved with having children in diapers in public swimming pools. Several states have had recent Cryptosporidium outbreaks linked to public swimming pools. And earlier this month, health officials linked an E. coli outbreak in Colorado to a public swimming pool. Diapers leak, even diapers made for swimming. What leaks out of diapers are human feces. Human feces are a known vehicle of infectious disease transmission. Is it safe to allow children who need diapers in a public pool?
Parents are encouraged to teach their infants how to swim. Should parents be informed of the risk of infectious disease associated with swimming in a public pool? Is it irresponsible for pools to have infant swimming classes given this risk?
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