Children's Digestive Health and Nutrition Foundation Warning: Parents Should Be Aware of the Dangers of Waterborne Bacteria and Parasites; Hazards Peak During Late Summer As the temperature rises each summer, millions of families try to beat the heat at water parks and pools. There are in fact an estimated 400 million pool visits each year. But what many parents in search of summer fun may not know is that their children are often sharing the water with harmful parasites and bacteria that can cause serious gastrointestinal problems. Symptoms of these illnesses can range from diarrhea (lasting about 7 days), abdominal cramps, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, and sometimes a low- grade fever. Infants and children are especially at risk for infection from waterborne bacteria and parasites. Examples include E. coli, Shigella sonnei, and Cryptosporidium, which can cause serious illnesses and sometimes are lifethreatening. Bacteria such a Cryptosporidium are resistant to chlorine, and an outbreak in just one pool can quickly sicken hundreds and thousands of people. (c) 2004 Children's Digestive Health and Nutrition Foundation & North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition