SA Health Issues Warning: Avoid Public Pools with Gastro Symptoms After Cryptosporidium Outbreak
SA Health has issued a warning, advising individuals with gastroenteritis symptoms to avoid public swimming pools. This follows a cluster of cryptosporidium cases that led to the temporary closure of two aquatic centres for decontamination.
Case Details and Aquatic Centre Closures
Eight children, aged five to 13, developed gastro linked to the cryptosporidium parasite after visiting the Waterworld Aquatic Centre in Ridgehaven, Adelaide, on January 21. One child required overnight hospitalization. Waterworld closed for cleaning last week after reporting cases and has since reopened.
Following one of the affected children also visiting the Adelaide Aquatic Centre in North Adelaide, three pools there—the 25-meter outdoor pool, outdoor lagoon pool, and 50-meter indoor pool—closed on Wednesday for decontamination using high levels of chlorine. These pools were expected to reopen on Thursday. The learn-to-swim pool, warm water pool, and leisure water area at the Adelaide Aquatic Centre remained open.
Understanding Cryptosporidium and Key Prevention Measures
Cryptosporidium is a highly infectious parasite transmitted through ingestion. In a public swimming pool setting, infection can occur if an infected individual is in the water and others incidentally ingest the contaminated water. Infections can subsequently spread within a family, for example, through nappy changing or children sharing a bath.
SA Health urges individuals with any gastro symptoms not to use swimming pools and to wait at least two weeks after symptoms resolve before doing so.
Broader Context and Seasonal Trends
Adelaide Aquatic Centre general manager Adam Luscombe stated that gastro cases are commonly observed at this time of year as children return to school.
SA Health's notifiable diseases weekly report indicated 36 cryptosporidiosis cases in the state from January 1 to February 7, a number similar to the same period in the previous year. Rotavirus cases doubled to 212 during this period compared to the previous year, while salmonella cases were slightly lower. In 2023, eight public swimming pools were closed due to gastro cases, and four in 2024.