Cryptosporidium Lawyer & Attorney : Marler Clark : Cryptosporidium Blog

PIERRE - The state health department is warning South Dakotans to protect themselves from cryptosporidiosis, an intestinal illness that is increasing across the nation.

The disease is caused by a microscopic parasite called Cryptosporidium, and outbreaks in the past have been linked to contaminated recreational water such as swimming pools and waterparks. There has been no specific common exposure in the South Dakota cases.

"We've reported 108 cases of cryptosporidiosis so far this year, which is up considerably from the five-year median of 31 cases a year," said Lon Kightlinger, state epidemiologist. "Several of our neighboring states are also seeing increases in crypto."

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Cryptosporidium, also known as crypto is a germ that causes diarrhea. An individual becomes infected with crypto by accidentally swallowing feces-contaminated food or water or having contact with other feces-contaminated objects.

Crypto is easily spread person-to-person. Currently there are outbreaks of crypto in several Iowa counties. The Shelby County area has had two confirmed cases recently.

Crypto causes watery diarrhea, which can result in dehydration. Symptoms typically occur 2 to 12 days after exposure but the illness may go in cycles of getting better, then worse before the illness ends.

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State and local health departments Tuesday extended for at least two more weeks the swimming restrictions that bar children under 5 from public pools.

Restrictions were announced in late August to deal with a statewide outbreak of illness caused by the parasite cryptosporidium, most often spread by swimming pools. There have been 1,300 confirmed cases of the resulting illness, cryptosporidiosis, this year — 30 a year is typical — with those infected suffering long-lasting, often debilitating diarrhea.

More people have been hospitalized with cryptosporidium — 39 so far this year — than the usual total number of cases in a year.

Because it takes about 18 days from exposure to cryptosporidium to illness, testing and confirmation provided to the state, health officials say they don't know yet whether the restrictions have done enough. So they'll leave the ban in place for two more weeks to see if the number of cases drops.

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A mysterious parasite is somewhere in Southern Nevada's water supply. The water-borne illness has already affected seven people in the valley.

The Southern Nevada Health District has few answers about where the parasite, cryptosporidium, came from.

This mystery has few common threads. The seven people aren't connected, and cryptosporidium can appear almost anywhere.

"Any untreated water is a possible source of an illness," said Mark Bergholdt, Southern Nevada Health District.

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