Don’t Go Swimming Without Reading This First!

That cool, shady pond or mountain stream might look inviting for a refreshing swim, but it can harbor parasites and bacteria that can make you ill. Recreational water illnesses (RWIs) can affect your skin, eyes, ears, and possibly trigger the deadly brain infection—primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM).

Avoidance is the key, but when in doubt take these precautions before making a splash:
1. Stay away from warm and muddy water. The amoeba Naegleria fowleri thrives in water 86 degrees or warmer and at the bottom of fresh lakes, ponds and streams.
2. Wear nose plugs. Many parasites and bacteria will enter your body through your nostrils.
3. Always keep your mouth shut. Avoid swallowing water while swimming.
4. Don’t swim if you have an open wound.
5. Don’t swim or wade in marshy areas. You can pick up an annoying parasite that causes swimmer’s itch – a condition characterized by itching, burning, and rash lasting up to a week.
6. Thoroughly dry your ears to protect against swimmer’s ear – a painful bacterial infection.
7. Avoid ocean beach water after heavy rains. Overflow from storm drains routinely runs into the ocean, carrying sewage, animal waste, and human garbage.