Avoid swallowing 'bacteria' from pool water in summer

Love to take that evening dip in the neighbourhood swimming pool in this frying summer? Go take one but beware of swallowing pool water as this may be abound with bacteria and parasites.

And do not go by the smell of chlorine as it does not mean that it is devoid of bacteria and dirt.

"That smell is actually chloramines, a substance that results from a mix of chlorine and bacteria, urine and sweat. A really healthy and clean pool would not have an odour at all," Christopher Ohl, a professor of infectious diseases at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in North Carolina, was quoted as saying.

The bacteria in the pool make things worse for kids.

"Warm, shallow water and kids in swim diapers can create a perfect breeding ground for water-borne infections, even though the water is chlorinated," she warned.

Kids who have recently had any gastrointestinal illness should be kept away from water.

Harmful germs such as E coli bacteria and parasites cryptosporidium and giardia spread when there is not enough chlorine in the pool or the pH levels are too low.

People may get infections such as diarrhoea, stomach cramps, weight loss, nausea, vomiting and dehydration.