Many of us remember the horrifyingly hilarious scene in Caddyshack where Bill Murray pronounces that there is "doody" in the recreational pool. More frightening and funny still is the fact that many of us may have memories of our own of similar events transpiring at our public pools growing up.
For those who think the sordid realization of poop popping up in the public pool is just a thing of elegiac childhood memories or silly movies from the 70s, the Center for Disease Control has some stinky news for you: More than half of the swimming pools it tested contained signs of fecal matter.
While looking for genetic material in public pool filters it was studying, the CDC discovered that 58 percent of the pools it checked contained traces of E. coli, which traditionally appears in human intestines or feces.
According to a report by WebProNews on Friday, May 17, the CDC feels these findings indicate that either people are indeed defecating in most public pools ... or are at least not wiping themselves very well before entering the water.
As flat-out disgusting as this may sound, there's also a health risk to consider.
"Swimming is an excellent way to get the physical activity needed to stay healthy," Michele Hlavsa, chief of the Healthy Swimming Program at the CDC, said.
"However, pool users should be aware of how to prevent infections while swimming. Remember, chlorine and other disinfectants don't kill germs instantly. That's why it's important for swimmers to protect themselves by not swallowing the water they swim in and to protect others by keeping feces and germs out of the pool by taking a pre-swim shower and not swimming when ill with diarrhea."
Recommendations made by the CDC as far as proper pool courtesy/safety are concerned include:
- Don't swim if you have diarrhea
- Shower with soap before swimming
- Wash your hands after using the bathroom or changing diapers
- Taking bathroom breaks every hour
- Checking your baby's diapers every half-hour
Do you have any stories of terrible memories involving poop in the pool? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
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