Parasitic outbreak sweeping across Adelaide pools has forced seven closures since late February
A parasitic outbreak sweeping across SA has led to pool closures starting in late February. See where the closures have happened here.
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SA Health has revealed that seven swim centres have had forced pool closures since the end of February, due to a highly contagious parasitic outbreak sweeping across Adelaide.
Goodlife Health Clubs at Royal Park has been the latest swim facility to shut down their pool to the public, after a confirmed cryptosporidium case was detected on Wednesday.
Other pools both public and private include Kent Town Swim on February 28, State Swim Glen Osmond on March 4, ARC Campbelltown on March 6 and 25, Purruna Spencer Newton Centre on March 6, Marion Outdoor Pool, and SA Aquatic and Leisure Centre on March 19, and Goodlife Royal Park on March 27.
Acting Director Executive Director, Health Protection and Regulation, Michaela Hobby advised people who feel symptoms of diarrhoea to “not use a public pool” for at least 14 days after symptoms have ceased.
“Cryptosporidium is highly infectious, but it must be taken in by the mouth to cause infection,” she said.
“Cases of cryptosporidiosis are notified to SA Health following laboratory confirmation after a person has visited a doctor and samples are submitted for testing.
“SA Health advises operators that the appropriate response when a confirmed cryptosporidiosis case has swum in a pool while infectious is a precautionary decontamination of the pool.”
On Tuesday, The ARC Swim Centre operated by the Campbelltown City Council, failed to inform members of the public that they closed their pools down due to an outbreak.
Instead, The ARC informed members via email, “not enter the water if they are feeling unwell”.
The same day, the ARC sent a text message to members and said the pools were closed due to “required unforeseen maintenance”.
Members of the centre said the messaging was “not up to standard”, and said councils and public pools had a responsibility to be transparent.
ARC member, Sarah*, not her real name, told The Advertiser that public pools should not withhold that information.
“My beef with it was that it’s a council-run facility, and the council shouldn’t be saying its ‘maintenance’, when it’s potentially some sort of gastric virus,” she said.
SA Health said it would continue to monitor the outbreak and notify swim centres and local government authorities if it detects more cases, so the appropriate action can be taken.
“If the case history identifies potential risks to public health (such as swimming in public pools), the relevant council or local health authority is notified to ensure decontamination takes place as soon as possible,” SA Health said.
“This involves temporarily increasing the chlorine level, as cryptosporidium is not killed by normal levels of swimming pool disinfection.
“Pool chlorine levels are required to be within regulated concentrations prior to reopening.”
All pools have since been reopened after being decontaminated.
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Originally published as Parasitic outbreak sweeping across Adelaide pools has forced seven closures since late February
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