(NewsNation) — Splash pads might bring to mind memories of fun in the summer sun — but they can also be associated with waterborne disease, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are warning in a new report released Thursday.
According to the report, public health officials from 23 states and Puerto Rico reported 60 outbreaks between 1997 and 2022. This led to 10,611 cases of waterborne illness, 152 hospitalizations and 99 emergency department visits, but no deaths.
The cause of these outbreaks, the CDC wrote, is waterborne pathogens that are often spread by drinking water contaminated by fecal matter.
Of the outbreaks, 40 were confirmed to be caused in part by a parasite called Cryptosporidiosis that is tolerant to the chlorine commonly count in swimming pools.
Many of the people who frequent splash pads are young children, who the CDC notes are less likely to have mastered toileting and hygiene skills, and sit and stand on top of water jets wearing diapers or swim diapers.
“Because children typically ingest more recreational water than adults and have been commonly observed to place their open mouths on sprayed or jetted water, children are at increased risk for exposure to pathogens in contaminated splash pad water,” the CDC wrote.
CDC epidemiologist Hannah Lawinger, who was the paper’s lead author, told The Washington Post that the agency investigated outbreaks of waterborne disease at splash pads because of the attraction’s growing popularity.
How to stay safe at splash pads
The CDC has a few suggestions for those wanting to stay healthy — and away from germs — at splash pads.
- Stay out of the water if you are sick
- Shower before entering the water
- Take kids on bathroom breaks every hour — and tell them not to go in the water
- Don’t swallow water, or let it go up your nose
- Don’t sit or stand on the jets
