E.coli from wading pool

[Whiskers]

I've read the threads about swim diapers/non- potty trained toddlers in the cruise ship pools from before, but I guess I didn't really realize you can get very sick from E coli in pools. I thought you might get some tummy upset.
There is an article on the front page of our local paper this morning - a 3 year old visited a petting zoo and got diarrhea/vomiting. The paper says he got E coli from the animals after not washing his hands or by rubbing his face in the fur. The boy seemed recovered and went to a wading pool party at a friends house. I guess there was an accident in the pool and a four year old from the party later became ill. This boy became extremelly sick - got that Hemolytic Uremic Syndrom and went to Children's Hospital. Kidney complications but he is home now.
Scary news article I used to take my boys to that petting zoo all the time when they were little.

 

[Sue Sullivan]

Here's another reason for me to hate petting zoos. or maybe I just have petting zoo phobia. As a kid the animals terrified me because they were so aggressive. As far as the pool goes, that is really scary. Not much you can do to keep kids from swallowing water in the pools.

 

[FLGalInTN]

Our zoo has dispensers of anti-bacterial cleaner right next to the exit of the petting zoo. All visitors are required to clean their hands upon leaving the petting zoo. Makes sense to me now.

 

[ldb1030]

Our zoo has those also thank goodness!

 

[GenieDana]

Pool contaminants 101:

- sunscreen and oils
- skin (a lot of skin defoiliates in pools, especially in presence of sunscreen and oil)
- hair
- blood (cuts, menstration)
- urine
- feces (elderly have accidents too, diaper changing parents and other non hand-washers after using the restroom, and those that don't wipe very well)

Swimmin' in a cesspool - What a nice thought (got chlorine?)

 

[FLGalInTN]

GenieDana - EWWWWW! My son refused to set foot in the pools because they looked "yucky" and were just too dang small. Can't say as I blame him. OTOH, he loved Trunk Bay and Castaway Cay.

 

[kcashner]

I would suspect that the "wading pool" was one of those little backyard things, not a properly chlorinated pool. Granted, the chlorine disinfectant can't guarantee to sterilize the water, but DCL does everything it can to keep the pools clean and safe. If they are aware of any gross contamination, they close the pool, drain, and clean it. In addition, they drain and clean the pools each night. They also limit those who are not fully trained to one "ear" of the Mickey pool.

Granted, all these measures can't guarantee safety, but it's a good site better than a backyard pool filled from a hose.

 

[Minnie&Mickey]

E. Coli can be extremely dangerous. Several years ago there was a child that died from e coli after visiting the Atlanta area White Water water park. This is a huge water park that is owned by the Six Flags amusement parks. Many children got severly ill after swimming there that day and one ended up dying.

 

[DisneyDiver]

As has been mentioned - EColi is extremely dangerous, especially with the vulnerable (older people, people who are already sick, and children).

In Scotland a few years ago, there was a big incident where several people died from it when they bought contaminated meat from a local butcher. Make no mistake, it's not just a tummy bug, it can kill you.

 

[lookingforward]

E Coli is very serious. Personally, I feel that babies or toddlers in diapers should NOT be swimming in the pool. I know this sounds harsh but swimmy diapers leak, regular diapers blow up and fall apart, and kids that are traveling and eating differently than normal fall off their "regular schedule" so accidents are more frequent.

I have not decided what to do about my kids on the upcoming cruise. They are older but my five year old is very excited about the slide. I will question the crew about when and how they test the waters. I believe they must be testing it every few hours for bacteria. Not all accidents are "visable". Still, it is a major concern.

 

[JJsmama]

Wow! I never knew that DCL drains and cleans the pools each night. I think that is great.

However, our stateroom is right under one of the pools. Will the draining and refilling be noisy and keep us awake, I wonder?

 

[crisi]

Our tablemates had a room under the pools and weren't complaining.

Another reason to swim early - not only are the pools less crowded, but the water wll be cleaner.

 

[markmyboy]

lookingforward...

The slide is not connected to the pool. It is completely separate...they are just in the same area of the ship. It seems that the water in the slide is constantly moving/recirculated, whether or not it is being filtered I don't know. When I noticed that parents were bringing the babies with the diapers into the mickey pool, I told my son it was time to ride the slide for a while before we got ready to do something else.

Since there are height restrictions on the slide, it is not quite as likely that there would be any sort of accident....it SEEMS pretty safe. The Mickey pool on the other hand definitely gets more than a little murky & warm in the middle of the day!!

E Coli is definitely scary. I try not to be TOO paranoid about where my kids swim & play, but stories like this & others I have heard don't help!!

Take it easy & be safe!!

 

[kangaroodle]

On our cruise last year I saw some people with a small baby who brought their own blow up pool and just sat next to the big pool. I think they filled it up early with a small amount of pool water. That at least kept others safe from the leaky diaper syndrome. All kids in diapers are required to wear plastic pants over the swim diaper. The swim diaper doesn't keep anything in,

 

[westjones]

Boy, this thread has given me a lot to think about. Maybe I will tell my kids to just go to the Goofy pool and do the Mickey Slide. The Mickey pool gets so crowded anyway. Of course, it does sound like first thing in the morning is a good opportunity for them to use it. We will have to remember that!

DJ

 

[Aisling]

Does anyone know what time the pools open up in the mornings?

 

[lisa702]

I'd like to know too. Thank you

 

[tchoney]

Just a warning... I am VERY particular where my son swims. When he was younger, he contracted Cryptosporidium from a public pool at a VERY nice hotel while we were on vacation. The pool seemed clean and I saw pool attendants cleaning and chlorinating. Unfortunately, He became very sick. I had to check his stool samples regularly as well as my families and the family that was on vacation with us. In Fact, the health department in our state had to get involved and the health department from the other state had to get involved. It became a really BIG deal. My son was sick for over a month.

So, In addition to ecoli, there are many other sickness that you can contract in public pools. We do swim in the pools on board the ship, we are just very careful not to get any in our mouths and to wash our hands before and after swimming.

It would be really nice if people were a little more considerate, careful and cautious allowing their little ones that are not fully potty trained to use the public pools. We taught our son VERY early not to urinate in a pool. We made a game out of it and he thought was a lot of fun to get out of the pool to go use the potty.

Anyway, ecoli and cryptosporidium are just 2 of the very many sickness that you can contract and could become fatal. You don't have to avoid the pools, just be smart and cautious and teach your kids to be as well.

 

[lookingforward]

That is reassuring to know that the Mickey Slide is seperate. Thanks for the info!