Concern over safety of pools after amoebic infection at Akkulam pool

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The recent detection of amoebic meningoencephalitis in a teenager who had used the swimming pool at Akkulam Tourist Village has sparked anxiety among regular swimmers and parents in the capital. The rare but fatal brain infection has forced authorities to shut down the Akkulam pool. The deadly infection has claimed 17 lives in the last nine months in the state, with seven reported in September alone. My 14-year-old has been attending swimming sessions for the past three years, but we stopped soon after hearing about the Akkulam incident. We always believed ponds and open water bodies were unsafe, but learning that such an infection can come from a pool is frightening. I am really scared to send my son back. I feel chances are high to contract the disease as people spend longer hours in the pool. No water body is safe anymore, said Jisha S, a concerned parent. At the Jimmy George Indoor Stadium swimming pool, which sees 350 to 400 users daily, the management has stepped up screening and water-quality checks. An official in-charge of the pool said that they checked samples both from the pool and rest room and that it is safe. We follow strict protocol and majority of the people coming here are regular users. Even professional swimmers come here. We filter and chlorinate the pool every day and carry out deep cleaning once a week. We are keeping in check the quality of water. People know the standards we keep, and hence, those who come regularly continue to come, said the official. Implementing strict ground rules, especially taking showers before entering the pool should be followed. If the users dont follow personal hygiene, the pool will get contaminated. The pool at Akkulam is used by tourists and it could be a reason for the contamination. We dont allow people to come wearing swim dresses. They should come here and change. Following these rules is key, the official added. Meanwhile, the Chandrasekharan Nair Stadium pool, which had been closed for renovation, is slated to reopen this week. Every day around 200 people come here and use our pool. We do filtering and chlorination regularly. We had shut down for the past one week for maintenance. All regular users are waiting for the pool to reopen, said the official in charge of the pool at the stadium.