Ducks in the Pools??????

[Daydreamer64]

I have a child that has Cronic Granulomatous Disease - his immune system doesn't fight bacterial or fungal infections well without extensive medical intervention. He takes daily preventative antibiotics and other meds for the rest of his life.

He absolutely cannot swim in any water that is not clorinated- even then it can be a risk for him. I read that there were ducks swimming in the RPR pool- they use the bathroom in the water as well as all along their "area". Is this a regular problem? Animals give out/off lots of bacteria in their waste. We won't be able to allow him to swim if animals are allowed in the pool.

We used to be a regular camping, lake swimming and "a little dirt won't hurt anyone" family until we found out he had the disease. Now we HAVE to live by different rules.

Do the other on site hotel pools have a problem with ducks too????

 

[Letsbgoofy]

i didn't see any ducks when we were at the HRH, but that doesn't mean that they don't get them. I know I was surprised to see ducks at the Grand Floridian pool - yuk!!

 

[damo]

I have seen ducks in the HRH pool.

 

[highlander447]

The ducks at the RPR are not pets they are wild birds and are not encouraged in the pool but they do swim in it

 

[Eclpz314]

There is a pond beside Tower 3 at RPR and there were 4 or 5 mallard ducks in it. The pond is behind the big convention center and the pool is in the front. I never saw them by the pool when we were there, but I guess ducks can fly in pretty much where they want.....especially if people insist on feeding them scraps. The pool is clorinated and was closed several times during our 7 day stay because someone (person) used it as a bathroom.....
now that's really gross!!!!

 

[lstokes]

At least there was a couple of ducks when we were there March 6-11, 2004. It was a family. There actually was a nest with eggs on the little island in the middle of the RPR pool. I thought it a little strange.. I really did think, to myself and family only, that the pool staff should move that nest. But maybe protected species in FLorida? Who knows.

 

[Daydreamer64]

Thanks for all the information. We have sooooo many rules that we have to follow to protect him Some CGD families isolate their kids with the hopes that it will lessen the chance of infection ( the disease is in the same family as "bubble boy syndrome" where they have to completely isolate the child for life ) but the child phychologist said that seriously ill children that are completely isolated tend to get very depressed.

Some CGD kids that have grown up in the last few years with the addition of new antibiotics/antifungals to prevent infections - the problem lays in the fact that their body just can't get the messages to the brain that it needs to up the infection fighting at any certain area that's sick or injured - there's a chemical breakdown when it comes to the oxygen burst that's needed to kill bacteria and fungus invaders.

Hopefully the busy season will discourage the wildlife from using the pools. AND YES, it's gross to have to clean up "human droppings" - which can be just as dangerous to him as anyone.


We take a chance when we let him swim but - geeze he's just a kid and needs to enjoy as much of a "normal" life as we can give him- I don't want to look back when he passes on and say I wish we had let him have fun. Our ped doesn't want him to tour the parks because he is exposed to so much more illness from all the people contact when we are there verses when we are at home so if you see a masked high energy kid at Universal/IOA on June 22-26- that's probably us! . He wears a face mask, earplugs, nose plugs and MUST not have any obvous cuts or breaks in his skin to be able to swim - not a perfect plan but a workable one anyway.

I will do a quick look around before he can swim- of course I can't see bacteria but I can see dirt, droppings, mold growth and any basic bad up keep that are warning signs for us.

 

[Eclpz314]

Daydreamer, I hope your vacation goes well. And I hope RPR has sense enough to chase the ducks away from the pool as soon as possible. It's a shame they didn't discourage them from building a nest on that center island in the first place. I like ducks, but I'm not thrilled at swimming right where they are. I wonder if it would be worth your time to call the RPR and inquire about the ducks now and ask if any arrangements are being made to rid the pool of them?