Journal of Tropical Diseases & Public Health

Abstract

Assessment of Bacterial and Fungal Contamination in Public Swimming Pools in Shahrekord - IRAN

Shirin Saberianpour, Hassan Momtaz, Fahimeh Ghanbari and Farhad Mahmodi

Background and Purpose: The swimming pool is an important center of entertainment for the public. Pool area is very suitable for the transmission of various diseases, especially fungal and bacterial contamination. The aim of this study was to identify the fungus Candida Albicans, Aspergillus and Penicillium and different bacterial elements in public swimming pools in the fall of 2014.

Methods: In this descriptive study, five public swimming pools were investigated in Shahrekord to examine the water contamination for fungal infection in the swimming pools during autumn of 2014. Sampling was done in two different times, and all the microbiological, chemical, and physical tests were done through standard methods. Test parameters included counting and identification of bacteria and fungi, and assessment of the remaining chlorine and pH level.

Results: The results revealed that the average pH and chlorine levels were 7.8 and 1.62 mg/L, respectively. The isolated sample of bacteria included Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, and Staphylococcus epidermidis. Other strains of bacteria, i.e. Bacillus cereus, Enterobacter faecalis, Enterobacter aerogenes, and Clostridium perfringens were reported negative. Of 21 strains sampled from five swimming pools in Shahrekord, Penicillium species with 9.52% percent, Candida albicans with 4.76 percent, and Aspergillus species with 9.5 % were isolated.

Conclusions: As public swimming pools can be contaminated with different types of parasites and also fungi, observing personal and environmental hygiene, and following standards for remaining free chlorine in water can help reduce the fungal contamination. Considering the fact that most of the bacteria isolated from the pool water in the study contained Escherichia coli, we can conclude that improving the environment and hygienic behavior of the swimmers can be effective in reducing the bacterial contamination in the pools.