Emergency Raccoon Poop and Pool Problem

Jump to latest Follow Reply
G

GMusic

0
May 29, 2018
59
Dallas, TX
We had a raccoon poop in the pool about a month ago and we have not used the pool since then. We tried to remove the poop, but it dissolved instantly.

A majority of raccoons carry Baylisascaris procyonis, a roundworm which is not a problem for raccoons, but is extremely dangerous and often fatal in humans. Raccoons can shed millions of roundworm eggs in a single poop. These eggs can live for years, are very hearty and are not killed by chlorine or other chemicals. The only way to kill the eggs is to apply heat over roughly 140 degrees (blowtorch, steam wand, boiling water, etc.). My guess is that in Texas, concrete gets hot enough to kill them over a few days.

Here is some info about raccoon roundworm:


We are confident that this particular raccoon is infected with this roundworm and that our pool was infected. I have read the other threads on TFP regarding raccoon poop as well as all other information I could find on the internet.

The only official guidance for pools in this situation is to run the filter for 24 hours, let the filter catch all the eggs and then backwash the filter. After that, it is also suggested to drain the pool if you want to be extra careful.

The problem for me is that I have a cartridge filter and no backwash mechanism. Thus, I have no way to easily flush these eggs out. I am trying to figure out how to safely clean the cartridge filter without risking infection and infecting the area surrounding the filter. For example, when you release the filter pressure, that could release eggs right out of the release valve. Additionally, when you release the pressure before you open the filter, almost all the water in the filter drains out of the filter and back through the pump, plumbing, etc. Finally, when you remove the cartridge filters, a lot of water always spills out around the equipment. I am assuming that the eggs which are in the filter will go wherever the water goes.

We are starting to have an emergency problem because there is now major algae growing in the pool and the only way to stop it at this point is to clean and/or replace the cartridge filters. Slamming and brushing is no longer controlling it. And now there is also a fair amount of leaves and other stuff on the bottom of the pool.

This has been an absolute nightmare. Needless to say, there will be no swimming and lounging by the pool today on National Tequila Day.

Does anyone have any thoughts or recommendations on what in the world we should do and how we could safely clean the cartridge filter in this situation? Is there anyway to flush out the system in a controlled manner which would be similar to backwashing?

Thanks in advance.
 
Last edited:
How are you “confident” that the raccoon has baylisascaris? Did you get a sample of the raccoon’s scat tested? Did you trap the raccoon and have it tested?

If you’re absolutely certain, then your only option is to drain the pool and have the surface powerwashed.

Why isn’t the SLAM working? As long as your pool pump is running, your filter is working and your maintaining the SLAM, there should be no issues with algae. Are you not maintaining the pool?
 
We are confident about the roundworm because two of us saw what we were sure was a long, white/clear baylisascaris roundworm in the scat. We looked up pictures and it looked exactly the same. Given that and that about 70% of raccoons in Texas have roundworm, we are confident that is the situation. I wish it wasn't.

The Slam is not working because the cartridge filter was close to needing to be changed when the raccoon decided to use my pool as an outhouse. After that happened, I was still adding chlorine, but was minimizing activity with the pool. When we got a small algae bloom, I guess that immediately coated the filter and made the filter mostly ineffective. And things declined from there over the last few days.

Do you have any advice on how to handle the filter part of the equation?

Also, I think the pool will need to be cleaned with a steam washer so that the heat will kill any remaining eggs. Can you steam plaster without damaging it?
 
For the filter part of the equation, first decide whether you want to salvage the cartridges or replace them. Replacing will be easier but costlier. I am not an expert (how many racoon poop worm experts are there?) but here is how I would approach the cartridge issue in a DIY fashion. Others may have better ideas.

The CCP has a drain plug at the bottom. It's awkward to reach, and tricky to replace. I generally never remove mine, but that's how I'd empty the contaminated water out of the filter in this case. First turn off power to the pump. Then open the air valve at the top of the filter. Then remove the drain plug at the bottom. If you can direct the drainage, all the better. With the filter empty, you don't have to worry about contaminated water flowing back to the pool via the pump suction line. If you don't think you can get the plug off before water runs back to the pool, plug the suction side, most easily by plugging the skimmers. Have a place ready for the contaminated carts & pull them out.

You'll want a rubber hose & nozzle rated for hot water. Connect it to a hot water faucet or your water heater's drain spigot. Typical hot water is ~120°F. If you can temporarily raise your water heater to 144°F, do that first. Bring the remaining interior filter parts (manifold, etc.) within reach of the hose and spray them all down with hot water. If you need to salvage the filter cartridges, spray them with hot water too, preferably with an attachment that gets into the pleats, like Aqua Comb. Also wash out the inside of the filter tank. When everything has been hit with hot water, carefully reinsert the drain plug and reassemble the filter. Be gentle with the drain plug; too much force can strip the threads or warp the shell of the filter, resulting in a leak.

Good luck, and bummer about the roundworms.
 
Last edited:
Per CDC-
Option 1:


  • Filter the pool for a minimum of 24 hours and then backwash the pool filter.
  • Put on disposable gloves to replace the material doing the filtering (if possible). Double bag the discarded material in plastic garbage bags. Remove gloves and place them in the garbage bags. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water afterwards.

Option 2:


  • Backwash the pool filter.
  • Drain and hose down the pool.
  • Put on disposable gloves to replace the material doing the filtering (if possible). Double bag the discarded material in plastic garbage bags. Remove gloves and place them in the garbage bags. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water afterwards
  • Refill the pool.
 
What about an acid bath for the cartridges ? I'll see you in HECK roundworms!!!
 
My honest opinion - this issue is waaaay overblown. I’m always of the opinion that it’s your pool and you can do whatever you like but I think your chances of getting a Baylisascaris infection are about as good as your chances of winning the next Powerball Lottery.

As per the CDC on the epidemiology -

Fewer than 25 cases of Baylisascaris disease have been documented in the United States. However, it is possible that some cases are incorrectly diagnosed as other infections or go undiagnosed. Cases that are diagnosed tend to be severe.

Cases have been reported in California, Illinois, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, Oregon, Washington and Pennsylvania. As of 2018, there were 23 published human neurological cases in the US; six of the infected persons died.
Click to expand...

Note - 23 cases since the CDC has been keeping records !!
Note again - The CDC has been tracking stuff since 1946!!!

Sorry, but I’m unconvinced that you need to go to lengths you are thinking. And no, you cannot steam plaster, that could potentially damage the surface.
 
  • Like
Reactions: borjis, revitup and Donldson

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
@Rocket J Squirrel

Thank you for the great suggestions. I am exploring each of them. This is going to be a chore no matter what.

@Oly

Everyone can make their own choices, but it's definitely something to be aware of.

@YippeeSkippy

I agree that the cartridges will need to be discarded. Fortunately, the current cartridges were on their last legs. I am wondering whether the replacement set will also need to be discarded once everything has been cleaned in order to get rid of any remaining eggs.

@Newdude

An acid bath is an excellent thought. Chemicals are not generally effective, but MA may be a different story.

@JoyfulNoise

I totally understand why you think this may be overblown. But I made a risk assessment after reading all the information I could find.

The CDC statistics need to be taken in context. First, those are older statistics. Roundworm is spreading and the number of diagnosed cases is increasing.

Moreover, the 23 cases refers to very specific confirmed, published, neurological cases. It appears that there are a lot more cases out there. It is very uncommon to even test for this roundworm and it's not what doctors think of when looking at the symptoms. So experts on this roundworm think there are a lot of un/mis diagnosed cases. This includes neurological cases which are misdiagnosed as other neurodegenerative conditions (Alzheimer's, dementia etc.). It also includes cases which might not be neurological, but present with other symptoms (GI, multi system, etc.).

In fact, in 2017, there was a study done of over 300 wildlife workers. Almost 10% of them tested positive for Baylisascaris antibodies.

news.uga.edu

Deadly raccoon roundworm can infect humans without symptoms, new UGA study finds - UGA Today

Although this "raccoon roundworm" was believed to cause severe problems and even death in people who become infected, a new University of Georgia study shows that's not always the case.
news.uga.edu news.uga.edu

So my take is that this is not a well understood area at all and it consists mostly of unknowns. But there are more than enough indications that this is something to be careful with because of the major downside. There is no way to precisely quantify the risks. What I do know for sure is that Baylisascaris is something you do not want.

Does anyone have any other suggestions on dealing with the process of draining the pool and dealing with the filter/equipment in a safe and effective manner?

Thanks again everyone for your input. All opinions are welcome.
 
Last edited:
you could use a shop vac to suck up the water as you opened the filter and just close the ports so no water gets back to the pool.. replace filter with new and drain the pool... You can have heated water go through power washers, I think they say 140 to 160 degrees is the max... You could get a steam cleaner, maybe a carpet cleaning company with a steam cleaner and pay them to steam and vacuum the entire pool... that would be the easiest way and probably under 200 to 300 bucks :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: GMusic
You must log in or register to reply here.
Thread Status
Hello , This thread has been inactive for over 60 days. New postings here are unlikely to be seen or responded to by other members. For better visibility, consider Starting A New Thread.
Top Bottom
Back
Jump to latest Follow Reply