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Taking a dip may send you looking for a cure
Don't go near the water?
August 7, 1997
Web posted at: 11:26 p.m. EDT (0326 GMT)ATLANTA (CNN) -- Few things feel better than a refreshing plunge in a lake or stream on a hot summer day. Unless, of course, there is something in that lake or stream that makes you itch or retch or ache or spend a lot of time in the bathroom.
Just when you thought it was safe to get back in the water, Dr. David Addis of the Centers for Prevention and Disease Control says swimming can make you sick.
"We're talking about gastrointestinal illnesses, diarrhea, perhaps vomiting, abdominal pains, stomach pains, respiratory diseases, cough, maybe fever, earaches and infections of the eye," Addis said.
CNN's Rhonda Rowland reports.
How do you know if your symptoms are the result of an ill-advised dip or something else? The experts say it's sometimes hard to tell.
But before taking the plunge, look around for some obvious signs of danger. Trash, for example. Water with trash in it might have something else in it as well.
Leaking sewage is No. 1 problem
And don't be deceived by every clear, bubbling brook that crosses your path. Trouble may be lurking nearby in the form of a leaking sewage system.
"We're seeing a real problem with (sewage) leaking into our streams and rivers ... we think it's probably our number-one problem," says Robert McGhee of the Environmental Protection Agency. "Most of it is the systems have not been operated and maintained as they should be. A lot of the systems are very old and have deteriorated."
To comfirm contamination health officials test water for a bacteria called fecal coliform, which is a sign of raw sewage.
"Where we find fecal coliform we can suspect there are other bacteria or viruses or parasites that can cause disease," Addis said.
Other signs of possible trouble: dark, murky water; water green with algae; and, of course, odor.
But if you must go into foul water, say, to fish out your 3-iron, experts say to keep your head above the water and don't touch your mouth or eyes.
Unless you're certain a waterway is contaminated, or you have a weakened immune system, there is generally no need to panic or cancel the rest of your vacation.
"People should be aware of the potential for these generally mild infections when they go swimming in natural bodies of water," Addis says, "but it's not a cause for general alarm."
If you want to find out about the water quality or warnings for streams where you live, or where you might be vacationing, health officials suggest contacting the local county health department or the state's department of natural resources.
Correspondent Rhonda Rowland contributed to this report.
Related sites:
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- Sources of Water Pollution
- The Hidden Dangers of Water
- OCEANS AND MARINE LIFE at NRDC: Beach Pollution a Persistent Problem
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