As the weather turns warmer and schools start letting out, urgent care centers can expect to see more patients presenting with certain illness and injuries—some of which can be deadly. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention just issued a report noting there were 493 outbreaks of waterborne diseases—many of them related to recreational waters—between 2000 and 2014, including 27,219 illnesses and eight fatalities. Up to a third of the outbreaks could be traced back to hotel swimming pools or hot tubs, specifically. The highest incidence was from Cryptosporidium, a chlorine-resistant parasite that can cause diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, and stomach cramps.
Legionella and Pseudomonas were also relatively common. Children are especially susceptible, owing to their greater propensity to swallow water. Certain injuries are on the upswing in warmer months, too. Researchers at Brown University have found that emergency room visits, which could just as easily be urgent care visits in many cases, for heated-related illnesses, swimming injuries and drowning, burns (both from outdoor fires and sunburn), cuts, food poisoning, athletic injuries, and insect bites all increase in the summer.