As the weather heats up, odds are you and your family will want to jump in the pool.
But before you do, you might want to read this.
A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says from 2000-2014, public health officials in 46 states and Puerto Rico reported 493 disease outbreaks connected to treated recreational water.
More than 27,000 people have gotten sick and eight people have even died due to disease exposure in pools, hot tubs and water playgrounds over that time period.
Where do the most outbreaks happens? Hotel pools and hot tubs, the CDC reported.
Bacteria and parasites were the cause of the outbreaks. A majority were caused by Cryptosporidium, microscopic parasites that cause diarrhea and other gastrointestinal problems.
The study also connected illnesses and six of the eight deaths to Legionella, a bacteria that can cause a serious type of pneumonia, according to the CDC.
So how can you keep yourself and your family safe? The CDC recommends three simple ways:
- Don't swim with diarrhea.
- Check the pool's inspection score.
- Don't swallow the water.
Dr. Americo Fraboni, a family medicine physician with Fairview Health Services, joined KARE 11 Sunrise to talk about how to keep your kids safe in public pools. Watch the videos above and below to learn more.