Vegas public pools negative for staph, MRSA

It’s safe to swim in Las Vegas public pools, but you might want to wear your flip-flops before getting in and after getting out.

All six of Las Vegas’ city-run pools recently tested negative for staphylococcus and MRSA, a bacteria that causes skin irritation, the city announced Wednesday morning.

But the men’s shower floor at the Municipal Pool, 431 E. Bonanza Road, as well as the women’s shower floor at Pavilion Pool, 101 South Pavilion Center Dr., tested positive for staph, a news release said.

The results came in Tuesday night, the city said, and the bathrooms were immediately disinfected by city janitors. Both pools and their restrooms are open to the public.

“Even with frequent cleaning, most staphylococcus bacteria is very common and is often found in public restroom facilities,” the release said.

Reports that staph bacteria was found in a Clark County pool earlier this month prompting further city testing.

Two Clark County pools that were initially found to have presence of staph are set to reopen May 26 after secondary test results came back negative for the bacteria, the Clark County Parks and Recreation Department wrote in a release Wednesday.

After the initial findings, Desert Breeze and West Flamingo indoor swimming pools were closed for cleaning and additional testing by two independent labs, the release said. The results showed no detectable levels of bacteria in either pool.

“We apologize for the inconvenience these closures have caused, but our foremost goal was to ensure the continued health and safety of our swim community,” the county wrote in the release.

Staph bacteria can commonly be found on human skin, even for healthy people. Infections can turn deadly if they get into the blood, bones or organs.

The county had its other two indoor pools tested as a precaution. Both pools tested negative and remained open.

In the release, the county reminded the public to practice good hygiene when using public swimming pools.

Kimber Laux contributed to this report.

Contact Kimberly De La Cruz at kdelacruz@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0381. Find her on Twitter: @KimberlyinLV