malem Posted August 4, 2016 Share Posted August 4, 2016 http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2016/08/04/Stomach-illness-tied-to-Zoombezi-Bay.html In retrospect, I guess it's good we didn't do a meetup there this season! PSA: If you're sick, stay out of pools. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Ding Dong Posted August 4, 2016 Share Posted August 4, 2016 Well fortunately I haven't used our zoo gold passes this year at all, opting for CF water parks instead. PSA: If you're sick, STAY HOME! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malem Posted August 5, 2016 Author Share Posted August 5, 2016 The article has been updated. It seems that the water was contaminated for quite a long time: People who had been at Zoombezi Bay began to notice symptoms between July 9 and 26 Columbus Zoo officials were alerted to the issue July 20 and boosted chlorine amounts in the water in Zoombezi Bay, as directed by the Ohio Department of Agriculture Some of these "new" precautions don't seem like they should be new. Additional health and safety precautions have been put in place at Zoombezi Bay, said Patty Peters, a spokeswoman for the Columbus Zoo. Those include new signs that warn against swimming if you have an intestinal illness or are wearing a loose diaper, chlorine tests every two hours, sanitation equipment in the kiddie pools and bi-weekly testing for 23 organisms, Peters said. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Ding Dong Posted August 5, 2016 Share Posted August 5, 2016 I would certainly prefer the lab tests be done daily. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RailRider Posted August 5, 2016 Share Posted August 5, 2016 That is a long time to have an issue like this. You must question what were they doing water maintenance wise prior to these new steps they are taking. Do they not boost chlorine levels weekly or biweekly like residential pools and shocking? Waterparks can be some of the filthiest places. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoastersRZ Posted August 5, 2016 Share Posted August 5, 2016 I know at Coney, they test the water frequently in Sunlite Pool, and they even test it in different locations. The one quirk that many may not realize, is that a pool like Sunlite Pool, which is just a pool, is regulated by the local health department. However, a slide like Twister or Pipeline Plunge at Coney is regulated by the Ohio Department of Agriculture, and they are concerned about the water quality. It seems like this particular incident has been going on for a while. I know that sometimes they will "super chlorinate" a pool to kill things like Crypto. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted August 5, 2016 Share Posted August 5, 2016 ....baths...2o,ooo people...many of whom need one. Terp, regurgitating. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Ding Dong Posted August 5, 2016 Share Posted August 5, 2016 Most pool's regulations state you must take a nude soapy shower before entering the water. We all know that rarely happens and few have the shower facilities to actually accommodate that regulation and would require major upgrades. Depending on how science keeps up with evolving organisms we may come to a point in the future when they will have to enforce it. It is also a really good idea to take a shower after swimming. Few do as well. I learned that lesson last week at CP. I was getting a bit of chaffing at SC by mid afternoon when we switched over to the dry side. If felt fine up until Thursday night when I discovered I had a rather severe open wound and eventually went to Urgent Care and was diagnosed with both a bacterial and fungal infection. Still not completely healed and have been home bound all week. So what am I doing this afternoons? Taking my boys to Zoombezie Bay! Haven't used our passes all summer yet. I will not be getting in the water. I read somewhere that in Europe men are required to wear the "speedo" type trunks for "sanitary" reasons. I find the sanitary claims a little dubious but I am no scientist. Carpe Diem Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gabe Posted August 5, 2016 Share Posted August 5, 2016 In Indiana, public pools must be checked and/or chlorinated 4x/weekly in season as prescribed by the health dept. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Ding Dong Posted August 5, 2016 Share Posted August 5, 2016 ^ darn government regulations. Killing business. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malem Posted August 12, 2016 Author Share Posted August 12, 2016 Outbreak spreading, now possibly linked to other pools as well. http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2016/08/11/crypto-outbreak.html If you want to go swimming in the last few weeks of this summer, picking a city other than Columbus, OH might be wise! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malem Posted August 24, 2016 Author Share Posted August 24, 2016 Now up to 250+ cases. Presumably many more unreported. http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2016/08/23/Crypto-cases-top-250.html I think I'm done with recreational water for the season, at least within a 100mi radius of Columbus. I don't trust the general public to stay out of pools for two weeks if infected, especially with summer quickly fading. Those who get sick can spread crypto long after their symptoms resolve. As an aside, Great Wolf Lodge shuts down their waterpark for about a week each fall for maintenance & cleaning, so all should be good there in December. The crypto outbreak is expected to subside after Labor Day, when pool/waterpark season ends in this region. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diamondback96 Posted August 24, 2016 Share Posted August 24, 2016 Well fortunately I haven't used our zoo gold passes this year at all, opting for CF water parks instead. PSA: If you're sick, STAY HOME! Kinda hard to stay home when workplaces and schools basically require you to be there every day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Ding Dong Posted August 24, 2016 Share Posted August 24, 2016 Well fortunately I haven't used our zoo gold passes this year at all, opting for CF water parks instead. PSA: If you're sick, STAY HOME! Kinda hard to stay home when workplaces and schools basically require you to be there every day.Yep, things like this are handled differently in more advanced societies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malem Posted September 9, 2016 Author Share Posted September 9, 2016 600+ cases. Thankfully, recreational water season is mostly over. http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2016/09/08/Crypto-cases-top-600.html Notably, many (most?) gastrointestinal illnesses aren't reported to health authorities, so there might be many more cases. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malem Posted September 22, 2016 Author Share Posted September 22, 2016 792 confirmed cases. Starting to taper off. http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2016/09/22/crypto-update.html 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Ding Dong Posted September 22, 2016 Share Posted September 22, 2016 Interesting that bleach does not kill it and requires hydrogen peroxide. Did not know that. I don't think HP is commonly used in pools so that seems to explain why it became such a problem. My wife also told me it is an out door pool issue and not an indoor one, though I am not sure why. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BloodBlade21 Posted September 23, 2016 Share Posted September 23, 2016 Interesting that bleach does not kill it and requires hydrogen peroxide. Did not know that. I don't think HP is commonly used in pools so that seems to explain why it became such a problem. My wife also told me it is an out door pool issue and not an indoor one, though I am not sure why. Most aquatic facilities use Sodium Hypochlorite ("bleach") or Calcium Hypochlorite as their sanitizing agent/disinfectant. The health dept requires a minimum of 1ppm. Many facilities keep a residual level of 2-5ppm. Cryptosporidium is most commonly found/introduced via liquid stools in a pool. Crypto is highly resistant but not completely immune to disinfectant. Indoor versus outdoor facility plays no difference in the chance of the facility becoming contaminated with Crypto. When a liquid stool has been discovered, a pool will be closed and hyper-sanitized in order to bring the sanitizer level up high enough to de-activate Crypto in a reasonable timeframe. The CDC uses a CT (Contact-Time) Inactivation Value to determine the length of closure. The CT for Crypto (assuming no stabilizers have been added) is 15,300. Thus, Disinfectant level * Time = 15,300. So an operator can change the pool closure length due to Crypto by adjusting the concentration of disinfectant, ie to open the pool quicker, a higher disinfectant level is required. For example, a pool with 20ppm disinfectant requires 12.75 hours of time to inactivate Crypto while a pool with only 10ppm requires 25.5 hours to inactivate Crypto. Edit: This poster assumes that the water in question is properly balanced in regards to hardness, alkalinity, TDS, stabilizer, and pH. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malem Posted October 28, 2016 Author Share Posted October 28, 2016 Fewer cases are being reported, but the outbreak isn't over yet. Up to 966 confirmed cases. http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2016/10/28/Crypto-cases-keep-growing.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malem Posted May 29, 2017 Author Share Posted May 29, 2017 After last year's outbreak, public health officials would like to remind patrons to stay out of pools and waterparks if they're sick. http://www.dispatch.com/news/20170528/officials-ask-sick-people-to-stay-out-of-pools-water-parks-to-avoid-repeat-of-outbreak 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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