A representative from the Dallas County Health Department outlines the dangerous effects pertaining to water borne illnesses.

Community Health Educator Natalie Peters tells Raccoon Valley Radio that people can suffer effects from water borne illnesses from an intake of a natural body of water. She pinpoints that signs include cramps, nausea, vomiting, which can all accelerate to serious conditions requiring hospitalization. Peters emphasizes the importance of rinsing off immediately after being in open bodies of water.

“Germs can stick to your skin while swimming and make you sick later, so it’s important to remove them once you’re out of the water. And even if you don’t submerge yourself in the water, maybe you’re just fishing and touching the water with your hands, be sure to wash your hands with soap and water before you eat or touch your face or anything like that because you can become sick that way too.”

Peters implores people to attempt to keep their heads above water to avoid swallowing anything. She warns that chlorinated pools produce bacteria that are harmful and to be on the lookout for that as well.