NBC Halts Production on Ultimate Slip 'N Slide amid Report of 'Explosive Diarrhea' Outbreak on Set
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Talk about a summer bummer.
Production on NBC's upcoming game show Ultimate Slip 'N Slide has been halted indefinitely after a crew member on its set in Simi Valley, California, tested positive for giardia - a microscopic parasite that, when swallowed, causes diarrheal disease.
PEOPLE can confirm the shutdown, which began on June 2 when producers were made aware of at least one crew member's positive test.
At the time, only a week of scheduled production was left on the series, which is set to premiere after the Summer Olympics.
Giardia can be found "on surfaces or in soil, food, or water that has been contaminated with feces from infected people or animals," according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
To determine the problem, water on set was tested by a third-party environmental lab in cooperation with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health and Ventura County Public Health.
Though samples from a well, pond, slide pool, water truck and restroom sinks all tested negative for giardia, results of additional testing came back on June 10 showing giardia in the set's surrounding area.
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It is also not known how many people have been affected by the parasite.
Citing a person with knowledge of production, The Wrap - who first published news of the shutdown - reported that "up to 40 crew members fell violently ill," experiencing an outbreak of "awful explosive diarrhea" - some "collapsing" and "being forced to run into port-o-potties."
Representatives for the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health and Ventura County Public Health did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment, but a representative for Universal Television Alternative Studios -who is producing the show for NBC - gave a statement to PEOPLE.
"The health and safety of everyone on our set is our number one priority, so out of an abundance of caution we have made the decision to stop production of Ultimate Slip 'N Slide at the current location," the spokesperson said. "We are in the process of determining next steps in order to complete production."
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Ultimate Slip 'N Slide is currently slated to premiere on Sunday, Aug. 8 at 10:30 p.m. ET, after the Olympic Summer Games' closing ceremony.
After the Olympics, Ultimate Slip 'N Slide will transitioning to its regular time slot, Mondays (starting Aug. 9) at 8 p.m. ET.
The show takes Wham-O's iconic backyard waterslide game and transforms "into a real-life water park full of gigantic slippery rides with the chance to take home a big cash prize," an NBC press release said.
Bobby Moynihan and Ron Funches are hosting the series. A network spokesperson told The Wrap both are healthy and fine.
