Bacteriological Contamination in Indoor Swimming Pools: Prevalence and Pathogen Identification in Wasit, Iraq

Since tainted water may spread a number of waterborne illnesses, water quality is an important consideration in preserving public health. The pollution of swimming pools, a common characteristic of recreational facilities, especially in the warmer months, is one of the main issues. The purpose of the research was to find out how often bacterial contamination was in indoor swimming pool settings and water. During June and July of 2024, a total of 100 swab samples were gathered evenly from the water, pool ladders, pool margins, and changing areas of several swimming pools in Wasit province, Iraq. Following their independent cultivation on three different medium (Blood Agar, Eosin Methylene Blue Agar, and MacConkey Agar), the swabs were purified and identified using biochemical testing and morphological traits. In all, 37% of swab samples included different types of bacteria, which were detected in water (12%), pool ladders (44%), changing rooms (36%), and pool margins (56%). Following that, 68 (37.99%), 39 (21.79%), 45 (25.14%), and 27 (15.08%) bacterial isolates were found in water, changing areas, pool borders, and pool ladders, respectively. Twelve bacterial species were found in changing rooms, however Escherichia coli and Klepsellia aerogenes were the most important. Eleven bacterial species were identified in pool borders; notable increases were seen in Vibrio cholera, Aeromonus hydrophila, Escherichia coli, and Klepsellia pneumonia. Ten bacterial species, including Vibrio cholera, Escherichia coli, and Klepsellia pneumonia, were identified in relation to the pool ladders. Along with Vibrio cholera, Aeromonus hydrophila, Pseodomonus argenosa, Proteus mirabrillis, and, less significantly, Klepsellia pneumonia, Acintopacter baumannii, Klepsellia aerogenes, Proteus vulgaris, Salmonella epidermidis, Streptococcus faecalis, Anteropacter cloacae, Citropecter frndii, Edwardsiella tarda, and Serratia liquefaciens, 15 species of bacteria were identified in relation to water. According to the current study’s findings, swimming pools are a source of diverse bacteria that swimmers may get, leading to a variety of diseases, including skin infections. Therefore, in order to reduce the danger of bacterial contamination in swimming pools, we recommended the adoption of thorough water quality monitoring programs, the use of cutting-edge diagnostic tools to detect and track possible pathogens, and the use of efficient disinfection tactics.