Bathing in fountains - why one should avoid it?

When it comes time for a hot weather, many Minsk citizens as well as many Europeans enjoy bathing in fountains. As it turns out, it is not so safe to do this in the Belorussian capital according to the department head of social hygiene monitoring and risk evaluation of Minsk administrative hygiene, epidemiology and social health center Yulia Voroneckaya.

Expert reveals the following fact: water in fountains is oriented for technical purposes only.

- It circulates in the never-ending circle and never gets decontaminated. Therefore, it is enough to imagine this literally “alive” water, hiding various microorganisms, including malignant microbes, the water which is full of different “health troubles” from various people and which can give you them in return.

Voroneckaya warns the readers that bathing in fountains can end up with catching different diseases, for instance peptic disorders, entoroviral infections.

-This is far from the full list of the things endangering people. One can easily get an infection even if he or she does not drink this water. When children bathe, they squatter so much that lots of water get into their mouths, eyes, and ears. Tramps and their bare feet can leave causative agents of fungal diseases on curbs of fountain basins. That is why it is better to restrain even a simple desire to slop your feet on the cool fountain water. Besides, cool water can become the reason of cold-related diseases.

According to the expert, bathing in fountains is both dangerous and non-hygienic.

-We should remember that such bathing could cause different injuries, as there may be a slippery bottom or sharp metal parts covered by water. Very often fountains are lightened to make them more impressive, that means that they are powered by electricity. So not only one can injure him or herself with parts of the fountain equipment but also get an electric shock.