Healthy Swimming & Recreational Water Home

Recreational Water Illness and Injury (RWII) Prevention Week

Overview

The week before Memorial Day has been designated National Recreational Water Illness and Injury (RWII) Prevention Week. RWII Prevention Week 2012 will take place May 21–27, 2012, marking the eighth anniversary of this observance.

Each year, RWII Prevention Week focuses on simple steps swimmers and pool operators can take to help ensure a healthy and safe swimming experience for everyone.

The themes for RWII Prevention Week 2012 are the use of health communication materials (videos, posters, fact sheets, etc.) to educate the public on how to prevent RWIIs and drowning prevention. CDC will enhance its communication outreach and impact by developing new educational materials for the public. In addition, CDC will publish new information on the effectiveness of recent health communication campaigns and updated data on drowning.

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What are RWIs?

Recreational water illnesses (RWIs) are caused by germs spread by swallowing, breathing in mists or aerosols of, or having contact with contaminated water in swimming pools, hot tubs, water parks, water play areas, interactive fountains, lakes, rivers, or oceans. RWIs can also be caused by chemicals in the water or chemicals that evaporate from the water and cause indoor air quality problems. Diarrhea is the most common RWI, and it is often caused by germs like Crypto (short for Cryptosporidium), Giardia, norovirus, Shigella, and E. coli O157:H7. Other common RWIs include skin, ear, respiratory, eye, neurologic, and wound infections. Children, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems are most at risk for RWIs. More information about RWIs can be found on the Basics of RWIs page.

Previous RWI Prevention Week Features and Notices to Readers

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