Redirection

Tuesday, September 7, 2021

Rethinking Swimming Pools

 and hot tubs. Apparently, you can get all sorts of infection there, and that if that is true about commercial, chlorinated pools just think what you can get from those back yard inflatable ones:

Swimming pool diseases

Official info is you can't catch an std such as HPV in a swimming pool or hot tub, but wait:

...the identification of HPV as an extremely stable virus as well as its ability to be resistant to common disinfectants suggests that this virus may be transmitted via contaminated fomites and surfaces, and through nosocomial transmission (Meyers et al., 2014;Ryndock & Meyers, 2014). Recently, the possibility of waterborne transmission has been raised (Fratini et al., 2013;Reynolds, 2012), due to the fact that HPVs are excreted both in the urine and in the feces. And indeed, HPV has recently been detected both in sewage and in sewage sludge (Bibby & Peccia, 2013;Cantalupo et al., 2011;La Rosa et al., 2013;Symonds, 2008). Consequently, these viruses may reach waters receiving sewage discharge. Although waterborne transmission has never been demonstrated, HPV DNA has recently been detected in different water environments, as discussed in the following sections...

...A variety of viruses may be discharged in pool waters by infected individuals or asymptomatic carriers. The occurrence of HPV in swimming pool waters has recently been studied in Italy (La Rosa et al., 2015). Polyomavirus, enteric viruses (adenovirus, norovirus and enterovirus), and bacteriological parameters (fecal indicator bacteria, heterotrophic plate count, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus) were also examined. Human papillomaviruses were identified in 7/14 (50%) samples. These belonged to five known types of the beta1 (HPV8, 12, 25) and beta2 (HPV23 and 120) genera. The study also found two putative new HPV genotypes. None of the enteric viruses tested were detected in the analyzed samples, and pool waters met the microbiological requirements defined by the national code. The implications on human health arising from the presence of HPV DNA in pool waters remain difficult to interpret.

Once again, "science" contradicts itself. So what are we to do? Use your common sense! As for myself, I prefer swimming in natural waters anyway. 

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