blakley.....
I am a "spa rookie" but you may find some of this
info helpful from a local Dallas area guy that has
a spa cleaning service. Some of it seems a bit like
scare tactics, but I am sure there may be some truth
in some of what he says.Virus Breeding GroundWhen you purchased your spa, the salesman
flooded you with the therapeutic benefits of
hydro massage and collected his commission.
Experience shows they usually fail to mention
the spa could make you and your family sick.
Warm and wet environments are very attractive
to microbes. There are several types of microorganisms
which rapidly multiply in spa water, like bacteria,
fungi, protozoa's, and viruses. Some are pathogens
which can cause diseases including forms of Pseudomonas
which affect ears, eyes, skin, and the respiratory
tract.
The microorganism that causes Legionnaires
Disease thrives in spas with inadequate sanitizer
levels.
Another big one is Mycobacterium avum which
induces flu like symptoms. And we can’t leave out
E.coli, Meningitis and herpes simplex type I just
to name a few.
Warm water increases the breeding rate of
bacteria and opens our pores to allow an easy
route for infection.
Not to mention inhaling contaminated
water droplets made airborne by the jets.
Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis
(Granulomatous Pneumonitis) or
“Hot Tub Lung”, is a rare disease caused by
inhaling dead bacteria fragments called
endotoxins. Spa water could contain high levels
of bacteria if the water is inadequately maintained.
Brought to the proper sanitation levels often
kills the bacteria but leaves behind the endotoxins.
The spray features like jets and blowers disperse
these toxins in the air which are then inhaled into
people’s lungs and thus cause an allergic and
inflammatory reaction.
A shipboard outbreak of Legionnaires Disease
was linked to a heavily used spa where buildup
of oils and other organic matter on the filter had
created a haven for microbes. When the air jets
were turned on, the bacteria in the aerosol infected
not only spa soakers, but also people who merely
sat on the deck near the spa as well. An whirlpool
spa was identified as the source of the worlds
largest outbreaks of Legionnaires disease in 1999
at a Dutch flower show. 188 people were affected
from a single operational display spa in hall
3 of the building. Why? Because the chemicals
were not properly maintained.
Many people who complain of “allergic reactions”
to the chemicals are actually suffering from simple
dermatitis from the bacteria Pseudomonas
aeurginosa due to inadequate water balance.
Others have died from acute respiratory failure
from contracting Hantavirus Pulmonary
Syndrome caused by inhaling waste and saliva
dust from rodent infestation. In particular the
cotton rat Sigmodon hispidus and deer
mouse Peromyscus maniculatus.
They both live in Texas and as stated earlier
under the mechanical breakdown section,
love to nest under spas.
The Center for Infectious Diseases indicates
no existence of a miracle drug to cure HPS. The
best chance of survival for those infected is
immediate intensive care. Other rodents species
may play host to other types of hantaviruses that
cause a different type of infection, hemorrhagic
fever with renal syndrome for example.
Keep in mind that both blowers and turbo jet devices
suck up air from under the spa cabinets and pushes
it into the water.
Whatever is floating around in the air under
your spa, is now floating around in the spa itself.
There are numerous spa repair technicians who
refuse to work on spas which have been infested
with rodents for fear of contracting Rat Bite Fever.
A disease which can be transmitted by a simple
scratch received from operational components
which have been urinated on by rodents.
Cleaning under the cabinet is as important as
cleaning the spa shell.
These problems will be eliminated with proper
chemical maintenance, cleaning, and sanitation.
Craig’s Spa Cleaning uses antibody-based
bacteria testing which detects species of
Aeromonas (including Pseudomonas), E.coli,
Shigella, Enterobacter, Klebsiella, and many
other coliform and non-coliform bacteria.
http://craigsspacleaning.com/pages/3/index.htm
