| Abstrakt: |
Objectives: Chlorination destroys pathogens in swimming pool water, but by-products of chlorination can cause human illness. We investigated outbreaks of ocular and respiratory symptoms associated with chlorinated indoor swimming pools at two hotels.Measurements: We interviewed registered guests and companions who stayed at hotels X and Y within 2 days of outbreak onset. We performed bivariate and stratified analyses, calculated relative risks (RR) , and conducted environmental investigations of indoor pool areas.Results: Of 77 guests at hotel X, 47 (61%) completed questionnaires. Among persons exposed to the indoor pool area, 22 (71%) of 31 developed ocular symptoms [RR = 24; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.5-370], and 14 (45%) developed respiratory symptoms (RR = 6.8; 95% CI, 1.0-47) with a median duration of 10 hr (0.25-24 hr) . We interviewed 30 (39%) of 77 registered persons and 59 unregistered companions at hotel Y. Among persons exposed to the indoor pool area, 41 (59%) of 69 developed ocular symptoms (RR = 24; 95% CI, 1.5-370), and 28 (41%) developed respiratory symptoms (RR = 17; 95% CI, 1.1-260) with a median duration of 2.5 hr (2 min-14 days). Four persons sought medical care. During the outbreak, the hotel X's ventilation system malfunctioned. Appropriate water and air samples were not available for laboratory analysis.Conclusions and relevance to professional practice: Indoor pool areas were associated with illness in these outbreaks. A large proportion of bathers were affected; symptoms were consistent with chloramine exposure and were sometimes severe. Improved staff training, pool maintenance, and pool area ventilation could prevent future outbreaks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
