Cryptosporidium Lawyer & Attorney : Marler Clark : Cryptosporidium Blog

Cryptosporidium parvum (also known as "Crypto") is a parasite that is too small to be seen with the naked eye. It is found in water and food sources contaminated with the feces of infected humans, cattle, and other mammals. The infectious form of the parasite, known as an ìoocyst, it is highly resistant to the levels of chlorine normally found in drinking water and swimming pools.

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After the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention released the 2007 FoodNet data, most of the stories that were written focused on the fact that there was little change in the incidents of food-borne illnesses in 45-million person study area.

There was, however,  one exception.   The parasite Cryptosporidium, for which the estimated incidence of infections was up 44 percent compared with the 2004-06 period, the CDC said.

Dr. Robert Tauxe, deputy director of the CDC's Division of Foodborne, Bacterial and Mycotic Diseases, said new treatment for the parasite infection might be causing doctors to order more tests for it.

Tauxe said the increase in Cryptosporidium cases may reflect increased diagnostic testing triggered by the licensing of a new treatment, nitazoxanide.    "There wasn't a compelling reason to get a test done in the past. Now it's something they [physicians] can treat," he said.

On the other hand, there might be just a lot more of the parasite out there.   The Foodnet area includes Connecticut, Georgia, Maryland, Minnesota, New Mexico, Oregon, and Tennessee, plus parts of California, Colorado, and New York.  Cypto outbreaks have been commonplace, especially involving water parks and public swimming pools.

FoodNet counted 1,216 cases of Cryptosporidium in the study area during 2007, or  2.67 per 100,000.  Since the study area represents 15 percent of the total population in the United States, FoodNet suggests there might have been more than 8,100 Cryto cases in the entire country last year.

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KOAA-TV, the NBC affiliate in Colorado Springs and Pueblo, tonight (4/9/08) is reporting that parasites have been found in Alamosa's water.  KOAA reports that:

Residents of Alamosa hoped that this was the day they'd get the all-clear on their municipal water supply. No such luck. New problems have been  found.

The Colorado Department of Health informed the city that a water sample taken before the system was flushed contained two different parasites -- Giardia and Cryptosporidium.  Both can cause diarrhea. The water tests were performed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

Investigators from the CDC were in Alamosa to investigate reports that several hundred people contracted salmonella  The salmonella was traced to the municipal water supply, but officials were unsuccessful in tracing how the bacteria got into the water. The contaminated water was identified three weeks ago today, when residents were told to completely stop using the water.

Alamosa remains on a "boiled water" order.   The number of people who've gotten sick has reached 389 with 107 culture confirmed cases of salmonella.   Sixteen people required hospitalization, but none died and all have been released.  For the KOAA story, go here.

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We've written much about last summer's outbreak of Cryptosporidium in Utah.   Next door, in Nevada, the town of Fernley is making parasite control a big part of its pool upgrades.

The municipality  of 19,700 is spending $731,368 on its "pool deck improvement project."  Included in the scope of the project is parasite fighting system  RGJ.com reports:

Part of the upgrades includes installation of an ultra violet light sanitation system, to which Board member Chris Beni asked what the benefit of that system entailed.

Facility Director Jann Van Horn said, "I suspect the CDC (Center for Disease Control) will be requiring it very shortly based on the literature I've been reading."  She went on to say the UV disinfection system get rid of water born germs including Cryptosporidium and Giardia, instantly.

Van Horn added those two water born germs shut down pools in Salt Lake City, Utah. She went on to say the UV disinfection systems are now required in the states of New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

The rest of the story can be found here.

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Last summer's Cryptosporidium outbreak in Utah's public swimming pools continues to get attention.   First,  public health officials have been warned such large outbreaks are usually followed by a continued presence of the parasite the following year.   Second, some officials want Utah to strike before that happens with a ban on wearing diapers in public swimming pools.   And, third, studies are coming in on what actually did happen last season.

The cypto parasite made lots of people sick at the public swimming pool at Spanish Fork, Utah. (It is shown in the picture.)  So, its been subjected to a study by the Utah County Health Department.  The Salt Lake Tribune reports that:

A Utah County Health Department investigation found the Spanish Fork pool didn't post a mandatory sign telling people with diarrhea
they couldn't swim. While the notice was read over the intercom, no employees heard it, the report said.

The county's findings did not please Spanish Fork officials.  Assistant city manager Seth Perrins said the city is "not liable  for a crypto outbreak" and noted the pool was closed and super-chlorinated when managers were told it was infected with the parasite.

Go here for whole SLT story.
 

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Did you ever wish you had a magic wand that you could just wave at bacteria, viruses and protozoa in water that would prevent nasty bugs like giardia and cryptosporidium from reproducing and spreading havoc?

Well, its now available at outdoor stores like REI for just $130.  The New York Times gushes that:

The wand can clean up a quart of water that is clear — but could harbor stomach-wrecking microorganisms — in 90 seconds.

The five ounce device is called the SteriPen JourneyLCD.   It has has a liquid-crystal display that shows a countdown during purification (48 seconds for 16 ounces, 90 seconds for 32 ounces) and a smiley face at the end to signal that the job is done.

Check out the rest of the review in the NYT here.

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There is no vaccine for it and only a few medicines work well against without making the person with it even more sick.  The cryptosporidium parasite is truly a nasty, nasty bug. 

The water-borne parasite makes thousands upon thousands of children in the third world sick with diarrhea.   Besides children, cypto is often deadly for people in developing countries who are already suffering with compromised immune systems from AIDS or Cancer.

That's why there is intense interest in research being done to fight this parasite.   The Voice of America follows these developments closely.  VOA News reports on progress being made by Researcher Liz Hedstrom from Brandeis University in Massachusetts. 

"We found 10 compounds that did selectively bind to the parasite enzyme and not the human version," Hedstrom says. "It turns out that those 10 compounds do actually inhibit parasite growth."

The next step, Hedstrom says, is to test these ten compounds to see which works best and can be tolerated by animals and then by humans. She hopes that in several years, they'll be testing prototype drugs in animals.

Her research is published in the journal Chemistry and Biology.  Go here for the VOA News story.

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 Folks  in cold climates this time of year start thinking about places where its summer now.   You are probably not thinking about the bad things that can happen when temperatures warm up.   Australia's Victoria, for example, is right now suffering from  a cryptosporidium outbreak that is being blamed on the increase use of public swimming pools that comes with hot weather.  

The Herald Sun reports that:

In December there were 106 confirmed cases of gastro caused by the cryptosporidium parasite -- three times more than the December average of just 34 cases.

The parasite causes symptoms such as diarrhoea, stomach cramps and vomiting.

As hot weather drives Victorians to pools, chief health officer John Carnie warned those with symptoms to stay out of the water.

"The cryptosporidium parasite cannot be killed by normal levels of chlorination, so we are urging people who have had diarrhoea not to go into a swimming pool for at least 14 days after symptoms have ceased," Dr Carnie said.

The Herald Sun's complete report can be found here.

 cryptosporidium

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Almost five years ago, there was an outbreak of Crptosporidium in a public pool in suburban Glasgow that made 30 swimmers sick.   Only now are officials about to pay up, according to the Evening Times. Scotland's  Jonathan Paisley reports that:

LEISURE chiefs face a £100,000 compensation bill after admitting full responsibility for a cryptosporidium outbreak in a public swimming pool.

Bosses of Eastwood Pool, in Giffnock, have accepted a damning NHS Greater Glasgow report into maintenance levels at the centre, describing the findings as "accurate".

Five families are suing the council after almost 30 swimmers fell ill with the stomach bug in August 2003. They had to wait more than four years for a health inspectors' report into the outbreak, which was released at Christmas.

Now council officials have revealed they won't challenge the findings - further boosting hopes of compensation for those affected.

For Paisley's complete story, go here.

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