Healthy Swimming
Prevention
The most common reportable waterborne illnesses in Montana include giardiasis and cryptosporidiosis. In order to prevent waterborne disease, always treat your water when you drink from natural water sources, such as rivers and lakes.
DPHHS is reminding Montanans how to stay healthy this year when swimming by following these prevention steps:
- Shower with soap before entering pool
- Don’t swim when you have diarrhea
- Avoid swallowing pool water
- Take children on bathroom breaks every 60 minutes or check diapers every 30-60 minutes
- Supervise swimmers, especially young and inexperienced ones - be a role model for others
- Learn life-saving skills
- Use life vests where applicable
- Avoid distractions such as alcohol, drugs or cell phone use around water
What You Need To Know
Drowning deaths are most common in Montana between June and August and are more likely to occur in natural bodies of water. Over the past ten years, there have been an average of 20 drowning deaths per year in Montana - almost half of these deaths are due to drowning in natural waters. Every day, three children under the age of 14 die from drowning in the United States.
Cryptosporidium and Giardia are two of the most frequent causes of waterborne disease among humans in the United States. On average, there are around 150 cases of cryptosporidiosis and giardiasis reported in Montana every year. Of those who reported risk, 46% of cases had recreational water exposure or drank untreated water (for example, unfiltered water from a river while camping) in the days before they became ill.