Bombshell claims after Springfield water park parasite hospitalises two children

A former disability support worker claims their clients often swam at a popular Ipswich water park despite being incontinent and carrying infections. It comes after two children were hospitalised with a parasitic infection.

Storm clouds approaching Orion Lagoon, Robelle Domain Parklands in Springfield, Tuesday, February 1, 2022 - Picture: Richard Walker

A Ripley mum says she spent five weeks nursing her children back to health after being hospitalised from an apparent parasitic infection they caught at a popular water park.

The incident came as a former disability support worker claimed their clients often swam at the Orion Lagoon in Springfield despite some being incontinent or carrying infections.

The children, aged four and 20 months, were believed to have contracted the cryptosporidium parasite.

After complaining of stomach cramps and discomfort the mum, who declined to be named, said she had to take them to hospital despite initially being told they would quickly recover.

Her children spent several days receiving IV fluid and antibiotics to combat extremely high temperatures, vomiting, diarrhoea and cramping.

Tests revealed they were suffering from cryptosporidiosis, caused by the same waterborne microorganism responsible for the Sydney Water health scare more than a decade ago.

The mum was then contacted by the Australian Centre for Disease Control (ACDC) to pinpoint the source of the infection.

Orion Lagoon, Robelle Domain Parklands in Springfield. Picture: Richard Walker

Cryptosporidiosis, or crypto as it is often known, most commonly affects young children and can be spread through the faeces of an infected person, while symptomatic, and in following weeks.

The parasite is resistant to chlorine. The most common risk factor was consumption of contaminated water or food.

The mum said the ACDC told her it had narrowed down possible infection sites to either the Orion Lagoon in Springfield or the Providence Ripley Splash N’ Play Park, both very popular with families with young children.

“A normal person’s infection markers are around fuve (units),” the mum said.

“My older daughter had infection markers of 140 and decreased liver function and the other had infection markers of over 200.

“I’m concerned of the longterm effects on their health.”

Other parents claimed on Facebook their children had also contracted crypto from Orion Lagoon.

A spokesperson for West Moreton Health confirmed that the public health unit was currently investigating a “small increase’’ in the number of cases of the illness.

“There have been 11 confirmed cryptosporidiosis cases in April 2023, with a total of 17 confirmed cases in 2023,” they said.

“In 2022 there were 30 cryptosporidiosis cases in West Moreton, with 11 of those cases recorded between January and April 2022.”

Providence Ripley Splash 'N Play Park is maintained by Stockland. It says water is regularly tested.

It had not yet confirmed a common source of the cases but was working with Ipswich City Council and the Ripley facility operators to conduct routine sampling of the water in all public pools and splash parks.

Despite some residents dubbing Orion Lagoon “gastro bay”, Council said water testing indicated there were no issues.

“All recent water quality tests at Orion Lagoon have recorded a 100 per cent pass result,” a spokesperson said.

“Council conducts daily water quality testing at Orion Lagoon for chemical levels, while Urban Utilities conducts monthly water tests for all bacteria.”

“West Moreton Public Health Unit also conducts monthly water testing between September and March.

“Additional testing is available on request or when a concern is reported.”

She said the ultraviolet (UV) light system installed at the lagoon was a “powerful secondary disinfectant particularly, against bacteria and also protozoa (single-celled microbes) such as cryptosporidium”.

She said Council was not responsible for safety or testing measures at the Providence Ripley water park, which was the responsibility of developer Stockland.

Stockland has no involvement with Orion Lagoon but maintains Ripley water park, including conducting regular water tests.

Water tests in December 2022, for example, showed contamination and the Splash ‘n’ Play facility was closed immediately and not reopened until tests gave the all clear.

There is no suggestion disability support services clients potentially posing a contamination risk have ever used the Ripley water park.

A former, long-time disability support worker meanwhile claimed that when previously employed with a disability support service company, support workers were told to take their clients to the lagoon to swim as one of their daily outings.

That happened even if the client was incontinent or suffering from any kind of infection including sexually transmitted disease, they claimed.

They said the Springfield Public Pool required a medical certificate or a doctors letter before clients could swim, so the service provider told employees to use Orion Lagoon or Colleges Crossing (public park and river area).

They left their employer about a decade ago but had noticed disability clients still using the lagoon every day and claimed ot have seen several service providers doing the same thing.

“I would always ask, like, ‘are they contagious?’ and they would just say ‘I don’t know, we just wear gloves just in case’,” they said.

“I asked ‘what about the public toilets?’ and they would say ‘just don’t let them go while you are on a shift’.”

“People with incontinence that wear adult nappies most of the day, they would take them into the toilet, take their nappy of and then send them into the pool.

“I asked once what if they pee and I was just told that it was fine because the pool had chlorine.”

West Moreton Health recommended that any person with diarrhoea symptoms should stay away from swimming facilities for at least two weeks after symptoms clear, and that any person using these facilities should shower before getting in the water.