Ban on tots in pools extended for 2 more weeks
State and local health departments Tuesday extended for at least two more weeks the swimming restrictions that bar children under 5 from public pools.
Restrictions were announced in late August to deal with a statewide outbreak of illness caused by the parasite cryptosporidium, most often spread by swimming pools. There have been 1,300 confirmed cases of the resulting illness, cryptosporidiosis, this year — 30 a year is typical — with those infected suffering long-lasting, often debilitating diarrhea.
More people have been hospitalized with cryptosporidium — 39 so far this year — than the usual total number of cases in a year.
Because it takes about 18 days from exposure to cryptosporidium to illness, testing and confirmation provided to the state, health officials say they don't know yet whether the restrictions have done enough. So they'll leave the ban in place for two more weeks to see if the number of cases drops.
