Recreational Water Illnesses (RWIs) | Child Accident Attorney Toledo, OH

Don't swim when ill with diarrhea; don't get water in your mouth; practice good hygiene!

Germs that are spread by swallowing, breathing in mists or aerosols from, or having contact with contaminated recreational water cause RWI's. Recreational water includes the water in swimming pools, hot tubs, water parks, water play areas, interactive fountains, lakes, rivers, and oceans. The most commonly reported RWI is diarrhea, these germs can be spread by swallowing water that has been contaminated with fecal matter that contains the RWI germs.
From 1978 to 2008 the number of reported RWI outbreaks has gradually increased, from as many as 5 in 1986 to 84 reported in 2007. The most significant increase in the number of RWI outbreaks happened after 1997. The overall result of the increase in the number of reported occurrences of acute diarrheal illness (gastroenteritis) is associated with the use of chlorine at the different recreational water places. There could be many factors that have contributed to the increase of RWI's, for example it could be that there is an actual increase in the number of outbreaks, another reason could be that people are just more aware that RWI's exist and are reporting them more now. We know for sure that Crypto has caused the increase. The chlorine used to treat the water for example in pools kills all germs within minutes but there is one it doesn't kill and that is Crypto. It has a hard outer shell and is hard to kill and this permits the germ to live for days.

If your child or a child you know had been injured, call our Toledo, Ohio child injury attorneys at 800.637.8170 for a free case evaluation or to request your free copy of Little kids, Big accidents: The Ultimate Guide to Child Injury Cases in Ohio.