Wake County pool reopens after parasite exposure

WAKE FOREST, N.C. (WTVD) -- The Holding Park Aquatic Center will reopen after being closed since Thursday when a person who contracted Crypto visited the pool.

Officials said HPAC will reopen at 1 p.m.

Cryptosporidium, or crypto for short, is a microscopic parasite that causes the diarrheal disease cryptosporidiosis, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The parasite can be spread when an infected person, most often a child, swims too soon after having a case of diarrhea.

This is not the first time crypto has affected Wake County pools. Two dozen cases of the gastrointestinal disease popped up in Wake County in 2016, mostly at public pools in north Raleigh.

A recent report said that there's a nearly 13 percent increase in crypto every year between 2009-2017.

Staff implemented procedures "that exceed requirements as a precautionary measure" and spent the day Saturday disinfecting door knobs, countertops, furniture and restrooms, according to the company that manages the pool.

"We want to keep the pool as clean and safe as possible," said Wake Forest Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources director Ruben Wall, "so if you're sick, don't swim."

The featured video is from a previous update.