Illnesses
Recreational water illnesses (RWIs) can include a wide variety of infections, including gastrointestinal, skin, ear, respiratory, eye, neurologic, and wound infections. Learn the facts about the most common illnesses associated with recreational water and what you can do to protect yourself, your family, and others.
Some illnesses, such as head lice, MRSA, and pinworm, are unlikely to be spread in recreational water. However, there is a potential risk for spreading them at recreational water facilities through contact with other people or contaminated objects and surfaces.
View page in
Get email updates
To receive email updates about this page, enter your email address:
Contact Us:
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
1600 Clifton Rd
Atlanta, GA 30333 - 800-CDC-INFO
(800-232-4636)
TTY: (888) 232-6348 - New Hours of Operation
8am-8pm ET/Monday-Friday
Closed Holidays - cdcinfo@cdc.gov
- For more information, please contact us at healthyswimming@
cdc.gov
