Swimming Pool and Virus Transmission

Concern for potential transmission of molluscum contagiosum virus via swimming pools and/or swimming pool-related paraphernalia (e.g., towels, kick boards) is a recurring issue for parents, teachers, coaches, health care, and public health professionals. Several investigations have centered on increased cases of molluscum contagiosum among children in the context of recreational swimming.

Although biologically plausible, epidemiologic studies have failed to demonstrate conclusively how or under what circumstances, recreational swimming might facilitate molluscum contagiosum virus transmission. In fact, some studies failed to find an association between swimming pool use and virus transmission altogether.

Several studies that did implicate swimming pool use with molluscum neglected to adequately account for other factors that could introduce bias or influence virus transmission, such as the age of the subjects, their participation in other forms of physical activity (i.e., contact sports), and their shared use of potential fomites (towels, kick boards).

An additional issue complicating the interpretation of molluscum transmission studies is the widely variable incubation time from infection to development of molluscum lesions (range, 2 weeks to 6 months), making the association between the event and lesion difficult to confirm.

It remains unclear whether contact with contaminated fomites is important (i.e., kick boards, towels) or whether swimming in potentially contaminated water alone is sufficient for virus transmission. It is conceivable that maceration of the molluscum contagiosum lesions following water submersion facilitates person-to-person contact or fomite transmission.

Current culture techniques do not support the growth of molluscum contagiosum virus, therefore, many of these questions can not be directly answered. Further research is necessary to better characterize molluscum contagiosum virus viability in pool environments. These studies may include the use of novel culture techniques and surrogate markers for viral replication (mRNA transcription).

Since molluscum contagiosum may be found in up to 10% of the pediatric population at any given time, the decision to prohibit children with molluscum contagiosum from swimming in public pools should be given careful consideration. Exclusion may interfere with much needed physical and social outlets as well as create social stigma.

If such a policy were instituted, the diagnosis of molluscum contagiosum should be made by a health care provider and all participating children should be subject to the same screening physical exam. Such screening could be incorporated into annual sports/camp physicals. A thorough skin examination should already be performed during these physicals for other conditions such as atopic dermatitis. Thus, identification of molluscum lesions should not pose an undue burden during this process.

Covering visible lesions with a watertight bandage, disposing of all bandages at home or in a health care setting, using good hand hygiene, ensuring that towels are not shared, and providing individual kick boards are all reasonable interventions to help prevent the spread of molluscum contagiosum and other infections acquired through contact exposures. Additionally, thorough disinfection and drying of kickboards should reduce the likelihood of molluscum contagiosum transmission.

Open sores and breaks in the skin can become infected by many different germs. Therefore, people with open sores or breaks from any cause should not go into swimming pools. If a person has molluscum bumps, the following recommendations should be followed when swimming: cover all visible growths with watertight bandages; dispose of all used bandages at home; do not share towels, kick boards or other equipment, or toys.

As molluscum is caused by a virus, it is highly contagious and can infect human tissue virtually anywhere on the body. Unfortunately, there are few adequate and non invasive molluscum treatments. Surgically removing molluscum or using acids for molluscum treatment, as commonly prescribed, are traumatic and not always effective.

Sesquiterpenes, found in certain medicinal plants and intentionally concentrated in AntiMolluscum-Rx, are known to exhibit a wide spectrum of biological and pharmaceutical properties. A large number of sesquiterpenes concentrated in this molluscum treatment exhibits quantifiable antiviral activities against pox viruses.

The lipophilic characteristic of AntiMolluscum-Rx allows it to penetrate deeply. It is absorbed in the skin and into the system in trace quantities. Therefore, this treatment for molluscum not only has a direct virucidal effect, but provides total systemic support. To learn more, please go to http://www.naturespharma.org.