Can strep throat be passed through community pool water?

My daughter attends the preschool where I work. Today, I was told that there was a case of stomach virus in the 2 year old classroom and 3 cases of strep throat in the toddler classroom. Of course those 4 children with known illness were sent home. The classrooms of both the toddlers and the 2 year olds are not cleaned as well as I keep my class and I have a feeling that there may be more children who are ill but not yet displaying symptoms. The little plastic baby swimming pools are shared by all classrooms. Even my class who are all in diapers. SO my 5 year old is swimming in the same water as my children who are in diapers, the 2's the 3's and her own class. I just think it's gross. I beeped the office to see if they planned to disinfect the pools before my daughter's class would swim and she said "no, there's no chance that the viruses would spread through the pool water." She looked at me like I was an idiot and she wished I would just shut up. What do you think? Thanks!

i dont kno, but strep is only contagious for the first 24 hrs

I sure would worry a lot more about the stomach flu being passed through the water. There are certainly plenty of examles of that. (E.coli in water parks). But the odds that the stomach illness was E.coli which is truly more diarrheal in nature , is very unlikely.

I don't think the pool water is the biggest issue. I think respiratory droplets spread from child to child and through toys are bigger concerns.

In any case, your five year old will be fine. Just watch for fever and sore throat, and vomiting as signs of strep throat. These occur without other cold symptoms (cough, runny nose).

Sure they can. My kids had swimming lessons earlier this summer and not even a week into it go a nasty virus from the pool. Are the babies wearing swim diapers? I know it is pretty gross. We went to Legoland last week and there is a cool water section there. My little one was sitting in the wading area with some other little ones. She stuck her face in the water because she likes to blow bubbles. All I could think of was "GERMS"! We all got sick within 3-4 days after we went with another cold virus. This time I got it. It's so hard to be sick when you're a mom with small children. By the way, you are not an idiot.

i would say it can be transmitted through the pool but after 24 hrs of treatment, strep is no longer contagious. but think of all the water kids accidentily swallow, yuck.

symptoms include :

sore throat
fever
headache
tonsils that appear red with white or yellow spots at the back of the throat
a swollen, tender neck
weakness
loss of appetite

Strep throat spreads from person-to-person through contact with respiratory secretions that contain the streptococcal bacteria

I really do not think so . However if it is only the little
baby plastic pool you describe , what is the problem with emptying it and putting fresh water between classes ?
Seems like a small thing to do with children involved .
And anyway if there are that many sick , wouldn't it be better if they avoided the pool for a week or two .

While the pool water itself will not be contaminated it is possible for the sides of the pool and anything else touched by someone with the germs could be. That means doorknobs and other play equipment.
I suggest before your class jumps in the pool spray the sides down with the bleach solution that you use to disinfect the toys (1part bleach to 10 parts water), that should kill any germs that may linger.

And when was this day care last inspected by the state? I have worked in a day care facility and what you described would be grounds to shut the place down by the state! My children wouldn't be going there.