How to Protect Yourself From Infections While Swimming
Every summer, there is terrible news about people getting infected – and sometimes even dying – from microbes in the water. Here’s what you should know about some of the high-profile (but rare!) Infections that have been in the news lately.
Brain-eating amoebas
Yes, there really is an amoeba that crawls up your nose and destroys your brain tissue. Naegleria fowleri usually lives in warm water and feeds on bacteria. It can’t harm you if it gets on your skin or even if you swallow it, but if it gets into water that gets into your nose, you can get infected.
This is a particularly dire condition because by the time a person shows symptoms, they are usually seriously ill. There are no drugs known to be effective, although there are a few things doctors can try. The CDC has more information on N. fowleri infection here .
The good news is that this is extremely rare – so rare that every time someone dies of it, they make it into the news. Only 145 cases were reported between 1962 and 2018. If you want to be extra careful, avoid swimming in warm fresh water, or at least wear nose clips and do your best to keep water out of your nose .
Vibrionic infections
The ocean is home to several species of Vibrio bacteria that can cause disease. They most commonly cause food poisoning (one of the risks of eating raw shellfish, including oysters), but they can also infect your skin if you bathe with an open wound . Vibrio infections can range from mild to severe and in some cases can be fatal or require amputation.
Vibrio is most commonly found in warm, salty (including brackish) water, and in many places where it occurs, the high-risk season runs from May to October. Due to climate change, warm waters and therefore Vibrio infections are becoming more common .
To protect yourself while swimming, the CDC recommends avoiding salt or brackish water if you have open wounds, or covering them with a waterproof bandage.