Could I get sick from swimming in contaminated beachwater?
Yes. Exposure to bacteria, viruses and parasites in contaminated beachwater can cause a wide range of diseases, including ear, nose and eye infections, stomach flu, hepatitis, encephalitis, skin rashes, and respiratory illnesses. Most waterborne disease outbreaks in the United States occur during the summer, when Americans are most likely to be exposed to contaminated beachwater. Experts estimate that as many as 7 million Americans get sick every year from drinking or swimming in water contaminated with bacteria, viruses or parasites. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) pilot epidemiological studies in the Great Lakes from 2002 and 2003 found that more than 10 percent of swimmers report contracting the stomach flu or respiratory infections after swimming. Based on those results and beach attendance numbers, nearly 300 people could expect to contract a respiratory illness after swimming in Lake Michigan in Chicago on a summer weekend. During the summer of 2003, 8,800 beachgoers partic
Yes. Exposure to bacteria, viruses, and parasites in contaminated beachwater can cause a wide range of diseases, including ear, nose and eye infections; gastroenteritis; hepatitis; encephalitis, skin rashes; and respiratory illnesses. Most waterborne disease outbreaks in the United States occur during the summer, when Americans are most likely to be exposed to contaminated beachwater. Experts estimate that as many as 7 million Americans get sick every year from drinking or swimming in water contaminated with bacteria, viruses or parasites. Who is most at risk? Small children, elderly people, pregnant women, and cancer patients and others with weakened immune systems are most likely to get sick from swimming in contaminated beachwater. They also are the most likely to be hospitalized or die from waterborne illnesses. For instance, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), children under the age of 9 had more reports of diarrhea and vomiting from exposure to wate
