Australia sees increased parasitic disease from public pools

An urgent health warning has been released to those in Victoria, Australia after an increase in cases of cryptosporidiosis of the very infectious disease.

Parasitic infection presents like gastroenteritis, which usually comes with abdominal pain, fever, watery, nausea and vomiting diarrhea.

Children are reported to be more dangerous than the adhesive parasite of water.

Currently there are 87 confirmed cases of highly infectious disease in Victoria since January 1 since Friday according to the Victorian Health Department.

While it may not seem like many people, it is already overcoming the five-year average and cases usually grow in the warm months.

Victoria had 2349 cases of disease at 2024, an increase of 233 percent from 2023.

Throughout Australia, the National Surveillance Surveillance System of Notifies confirmed that the cases were increasing, after forming 3716 throughout Australia in 2023 at 11,860 in 2024, which equals 300 percent increase.

While the disease is “usually mild and self-limiting” according to the Victorian Health Department, Health Chief Tarun Weemanthri said: “It is important to remember that you remain infectious for a few weeks after your diarrhea stops.

“So don’t swim for up to two weeks after your symptoms have stopped.

“Step is the simple steps that are most effective – the soapy shower before swimming will help keep germs out of water.

“And of course, avoid swallowing the pool water if you can.

“If you think you or your child may have cryptosporide, contact your doctor. Your doctor will help you test. “

Although chlorine kills most of the germs in the treated public pools, Weemanhri commented that some germs can be highly resistant to chlorine.

For those who go to swim in public, the recommendations are that people are washed with soap before swimming, try to avoid swallowing the pool water and wash their hands with soap after going to the bathroom or changing a nickname.

It is not the first time this bug has caused chaos.

Last summer, explosions caused pool closure in New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland.

In February last year, it was reported that NSW cases were more than five times more than five-year average levels, while Victorian cases increased over 600 percent last year to March.

In Queensland, the numbers in February increased 13 times the 2023 numbers and exceeded the annual amounts of 2021 and 2022.