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Moments after Farrah Beatty's family walked inside the Great Wolf Lodge indoor water park earlier this year, the chlorine odor nearly knocked them off their feet.

"After a few hours into it my three-year-old nephew could not catch his breath and was asked by several life guards on different occasions if he was OK ... I saw one child suffer from an asthma attack and had to be carried out by the paramedics," said Beatty who lives in South Salem.

Beatty is one of more than 400 people who have complained since January of respiratory problems, skin rashes and flu-like symptoms after visiting Great Wolf, located off Kings Island Drive next to the amusement park in Mason.

The exact cause of the health problems is still unknown, but Warren County Environmental Health Director Dan Collins said he believes the problems were caused by chloramines.

Chloramines, which form from a combination of chlorine, human waste and lack of ventilation, are a common problem at heavily used indoor pools nationwide, said Capt. Charles Otto of the U.S. Public Health Service.

Tests at Great Wolf indicate the facility meets chlorine and ventilation standards, health officials and Great Wolf Lodge representatives said. But Otto, who visited Great Wolf last week, said health experts are studying whether the standards need to be updated because even facilities that meet federal regulations are at risk.

"This is a whole new territory for us. We're learning as we go along," Otto said.

Tom Griffiths, director of aquatics at Penn State University, said pool standards haven't kept pace with the new wave of large indoor pools and water parks.

"Those standards have to be higher, especially at heavily used pools," said Griffiths, who has studied chloramine control for indoor pools. "A lot of these indoor pools have shallow water and warmer water, whereas traditional pools are deeper and less susceptible to chloramines."

Experts said chloramines cause skin and eye irritation and respiratory problems.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, nearly 2,700 people became ill during 62 water-related disease outbreaks nationwide in 2004.

While most incidents are caused by swimmers with gastrointestinal disorders, health experts said reports of swimmers affected by chloramines are on the rise.

Many of the people sickened at Great Wolf said they thought the strong stench of chlorine meant the water was safe. But Griffiths said the opposite is true.

"Well-maintained pools should not stink," Griffiths said. "The nose knows. If the water stinks, chances are there's a problem."

Collins said the Warren County Health Department hasn't received a complaint from a Great Wolf visitor in about two weeks and believes that's due to more fresh air in the facility.

Contact this reporter at (513) 696-4542 or tlatta@coxohio.com.