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Recreational Water Illnesses
What are Recreational Water Illnesses?
Recreational water illnesses are caused by germs spread by swallowing, breathing in mists or aerosols of, or having contact with contaminated water in swimming pools, hot tubs, water parks, water play areas, interactive fountains, lakes, rivers or oceans. Water-borne illnesses can also be caused by chemicals in the water or chemicals that evaporate from the water and cause indoor air quality problems. These illnesses can be a wide variety of infections, including gastrointestinal, skin, ear, respiratory, eye, neurologic and wound infections. The most commonly reported water-borne illness is diarrhea. Diarrheal illnesses can be caused by germs such as Cryptosporidium, sometimes called "Crypto."