Cryptosporidium Lawyer & Attorney : Marler Clark : Cryptosporidium Blog

Cresco, Iowa, population 3,905, located in Howard County on the border with Minnesota is one of those picture post card sort of small towns.   The Times Plain Dealer is a weekly newspaper that publishes on Wednesdays with a solid site on the web.

Sometimes its the small places that step up to big challenges.   Cresco is stepping up the fight against Cryptosporidium.  Times Dealer reporter Sara Daehn writes this week about the battle.

Record high cases of infections by the parasite Cryptosporidium throughout Iowa in 2007 and 2008 have prompted Cresco Fitness Center officials to discuss a plan in the event of a local outbreak.

Fitness center employees are working with Community Health Services/Howard County Public Health officials to develop the plan as well as ways to prevent an outbreak from occurring.

One of the most common waterborne diseases, Cryptosporidium, commonly known as crypto, is easily spread in recreational water, such as pools and rivers. The parasite is one of several Recreational Water Illnesses. Others include Giardia, Shigella and E. coli.

Although Howard County did not have any documented cases of Crypto in 2007 or so far in 2008, local officials agree it’s best to be prepared.

Crypto struck 937 Iowans last year.  Most were age 4 and under.

• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

State and local health departments and the Centers for Disease Control investigated a historic high number of illnesses involving recreational waters last year. 

The upsurge is being driven by  Cryptosporidium ("Crypto").   Its a chlorine resistant parasite found in recreational waters including swimming pools and parks. 

"Crypto" gets into recreational waters from babies and older swimmers with diarrhea.  Other swimmers then swallow the contaminated waters, spreading the disease.

CDC wants to educate the public about the threat  of "Crypto"  to all those who are about to enjoyed the nation's swimming pools and parks.   So, May 19-25, 2008 is being celebrated as "National Recreational Water Illness Prevention Week."

The annual event is held the week before Memorial Day Weekend, the traditional start of summer.  CDC is using the week to get out its  three "pleas" to swimmers and parents in hopes of controlling the quick-spreading parasite this summer.  Here they are:

Three "PLEAs" for All Swimmers

Practice these three "PLEAs" to stop germs from causing illness at the pool:

Please don't swim when you have diarrhea. You can spread germs in the water and make other people sick. This is especially important for kids in diapers.

Please don't swallow the pool water. In fact, avoid getting water in your mouth.

Please practice good hygiene. Take a shower before swimming and wash your hands after using the toilet or changing diapers. Germs on your body end up in the water.

Three "PLEAs" for Parents of Young Kids

Follow these three "PLEAs" to keep germs out of the pool and your community:

Please take your kids on bathroom breaks or check diapers often. Waiting to hear "I have to go" may mean that it's too late.

Please change diapers in a bathroom or a diaper-changing area and not at poolside. Germs can spread to surfaces and objects in and around the pool and cause illness.

Please wash your child thoroughly (especially the rear end) with soap and water before swimming. Everyone has invisible amounts of fecal matter on their bottoms that ends up in the pool.

CDC has lot's more more available here.

• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link