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American Morning
Interview with Dr. Ali Kahn
Aired July 02, 2002 - 07:46 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Was it something in the water that made people sick at an Ohio amusement park this weekend? After an inspection there, state inspectors were giving the suburban Columbus water park a clean bill of health just days after 20 people there became ill on the water rides. They were all treated for respiratory problems and vomiting.
Well, this morning, we have some advice on staying healthy in and out of the water if you plan on being in the water this holiday week. Dr. Ali Kahn, medical epidemiologist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, is at the CNN Center this morning. And, Dr. Kahn, thank you for taking time to talk with us this morning.
I have a couple of questions for you, first of all, about this Ohio case. Are you familiar with the story? Have you heard about the different descriptions of the events there about a green haze coming off the water there?
DR. ALI KAHN, MEDICAL EPIDEMIOLOGIST: No, I am not familiar with this specific story, which is not unusual. The states mainly handle this by themselves and only contact us if there are problems. But I think it's important to keep this in perspective. Swimming is the second-most common activity in the United States after walking. It's good for you, it's healthy, it's fun, and there are over 400 million visits to swimming venues each year here in the United States.
However, there is a small but increasing risk of recreational water illness, and there are certain healthy swimming behaviors you can practice to try to reduce that risk.
HARRIS: Yes, we know about the one big outbreak that happened, it was an E. coli outbreak that happened at that White Water park in Atlanta, Georgia a couple of years ago. That came to my mind immediately when I heard about this story. But first of all, I want to ask you about, you know, the different things that may be in water. You know, is there, first of all, something a parent can do if they are at the pool with their child, and they can look in the water and see the water itself. OK. If they do that, is there any sort of thing they should be looking for?
KAHN: Well, there are a couple of things that parents can do. The first thing is that when they visually inspect the pool, they can check if there is a film on the pool, they can check if there is debris in the pool, can they see to the bottom. And if all of those things are true, well, that's a reflection of how well the pool is being maintained, including the chlorine and pH levels. Parents can also ask the pool operator, how often do you check the chlorine and pH in the pool and make sure those things are being done.
But the problem is even if the water looks absolutely clear, you can't tell by looking at the pool what the pH and what the chlorine level is in the pool.
HARRIS: Yes.
KAHN: So it's important to make sure that you are practicing healthy swimming behaviors, such as not swimming while you have diarrhea and not swallowing the pool water, to do your share of preventing recreational water illnesses.
HARRIS: You know, a lot of us, we know about chlorine in the pool water, and we all assume that the chlorine is going to kill whatever is in there. It's sort of like the panacea, you know, for anything that might be in the water. But how long does it take chlorine to actually kill any bacteria that's in the water?
KAHN: That's a big myth. I think we need to remember that swimming really, in many ways, is communal bathing, and the water that you swim in is not sterile. Chlorine, though, is an excellent disinfectant. It kills over 99 percent of the bugs that we worry about, and also takes care of swimmer's itch. It takes care of swimmer's ear. It takes care of the E. coli that we worry about. But it takes time for the E. coli to kill bacteria and viruses and for some things, such for some thing, such as cryptosporidium, that can actually be a couple of days.
So we do see illness with well-maintained pools. So in addition to the pool operator doing his job with pH and the chlorine, it's your responsibility to do your job to practice these safe, healthy swimming behaviors.
HARRIS: All right, folks, hear that? Do not take it for granted. Now, let's check though some of the other advice that you want to give people about things like this. One you already mentioned about was not swimming when you have diarrhea and not swallowing the pool water. But you also say that people should wash their hands with soap and water after using the toilet before getting back in the pool.
KAHN: Absolutely. And those are the three pleases we have for all swimmers. Remember, this not just prevents you from getting ill, but prevents you from spreading germs into the pool that can get other people ill.
HARRIS: All right. Now, a couple of other ones we want to get in real quickly here. Give kids frequent bathroom breaks. That one makes perfect sense.
KAHN: Absolutely. Don't wait for them to say, "I have to go," because it can too late at that point.
HARRIS: Yes, I know kids. I've got two of them. KAHN: Yes.
HARRIS: And change diapers in the bathroom and not by the side of the pool. And also to take a bath -- give your child a bath, rather, and wash him thoroughly, including their bottom before getting back in the pool.
KAHN: Exactly. Soap and water, don't depend on those swim diapers. They are not waterproof, so make sure the kids are getting regular bathroom breaks.
HARRIS: Dr. Ali Kahn in Atlanta, thank you very much. We appreciate the advice, and we sure hope that people out there take it to heart -- take care -- have a good holiday.
KAHN: Thank you.
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