Africa Water, Sanitation & Hygiene January - February 2016 vol.11 no.1 | Page 31

Hygiene

floor—even when the toilet wasn’t in use. In other words,
even an unoccupied, open bowl can spread bacteria.
Although the highest levels of bacteria were found
right after a flush, even 90 minutes later, between 15-47
contaminated water droplets were detected on nearby
surfaces—which means you may want to think twice about
where you’re leaving your toothbrush.
The best way to prevent the spread of these bacteria?
Keep the lid closed! The study found that this reduced the
spread of bacteria by 10 times. If someone if your family
has come down with the winter bug, clean off all areas
of the toilet regularly. And if you’re out in public among
lidless toilets, make sure to wash your hands.

Recreational Water Illnesses (RWIs)
Illness caused by germs and chemicals found in the
water we swim in
Contrary to
popular belief,
chlorine does
not kill all
germs instantly.
There are germs
today that are
very tolerant
to chlorine and
were not known
to cause human disease until recently. Once these germs
get in the pool, it can take anywhere from minutes to days
for chlorine to kill them. Swallowing just a little water that
contains these germs can make you sick.
Recreational water illnesses (RWIs) are caused by germs
spread by swallowing, breathing in mists or aerosols of,
or having contact with contaminated water in swimming
pools, hot tubs, water parks, water play areas, interactive
fountains, lakes, rivers, or oceans. RWIs can also be caused
by chemicals in the water or chemicals that evaporate from
the water and cause indoor air quality problems.
RWIs include a wide variety of infections, such as
gastrointestinal, skin, ear, respiratory, eye, neurologic, and
wound infections. The most commonly reported RWI
is diarrhea. Diarrheal illnesses are caused by germs such
as Crypto (short for Cryptosporidium), Giardia, Shigella,
norovirus and E. coli O157:H7. With RWI outbreaks on
the rise, swimmers need to take an active role in helping
to protect themselves and prevent the spread of germs. It
is important for swimmers to learn the basic facts about
RWIs so they can keep themselves and their family health