Foss Swim Schools Reopen After Closing For Parasite Cases
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Foss Swim School tells WCCO two more of its locations reopened Thursday after an investigation involving more than 100 people getting sick from a parasite called Cryptosporidium.
The Minnesota Department of Health says it started investigating after reports of people getting sick at four Foss locations starting on September 30.
The locations included Foss Swim Schools in St. Louis Park, St. Paul, Plymouth and Maple Grove.
The schools in St. Paul and St. Louis Park reopened Thursday after the company used a process called hyperchlorination in the pools to help kill the parasite.
All four of the Foss Swim School locations identified in the Department of Health investigation are now back open.
The Minnesota Department of Health says Cryptosporidium causes diarrhea, spreads easily and that people who got sick should avoid swimming for at least two weeks after getting better.
If someone who is still contagious enters a pool after it has been treated the parasite will continue to spread and make others sick.
Foss Swim School operates eight locations in the metro.
(NOTE: An earlier version of this article stated there were two confirmed cases of Cryptosporidium and that there were no other reported cases in Foss Swim School's system. The MN Department of Health investigation involves more than 100 cases at four Foss Swim School locations.)
