| Cryptosporidium
and Drinking Water from Private Wells
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What
is cryptosporidiosis?
Cryptosporidiosis (KRIP-toe-spo-rid-ee-OH-sis) is a diarrheal disease.�
It is caused by parasites of the Cryptosporidium species
(spp.).� Both the disease and the parasite are commonly
known as "crypto."� Crypto can live in the intestine of
humans and animals, and is passed in the stools.� The parasite is
protected by an outer shell, which allows it to live outside the body
for long periods of time.� It also makes it hard to be killed by chlorine
disinfection.� During the past two decades, crypto has become one
of the most common causes of waterborne disease in humans in the United
States.
How do
I become infected with crypto?
Crypto may be found in soil, food, water, or surfaces that
have been contaminated with feces from infected humans or animals.� You
can become infected after accidentally swallowing the parasite.� Crypto
is not spread by contact with blood.
Where
and how does crypto get into drinking water?
Crypto
is found in every part of the United States and throughout the world.� Millions
of crypto can be released in a bowel movement from an infected human or
animal.� Crypto may be found in water sources such as private wells that
have been contaminated with feces from infected humans or animals.� Water
can be contaminated through sewage overflows, polluted storm water runoff,
agricultural runoff, etc.
What are the symptoms
of crypto?
The most common symptoms
of crypto include:
- Watery diarrhea
- Dehydration and weight loss
- Stomach cramps
- Upset stomach
- Slight fever
These symptoms generally begin 2-10 days after infection and last about
1-2 weeks in healthy individuals.� Some people have no symptoms.� However,
people with weakened immune systems (e.g., person with HIV/AIDS, cancer
patients, and transplant patients) or the elderly may experience a more
serious infection that can lead to severe, if not life-threatening, illness.�
The symptoms may go in cycles in which you may seem to get better for
a few days, then feel worse again, before the illness ends.
What should I do if I
think I have crypto?
See your health care provider
to discuss your concerns.
How is a crypto infection
diagnosed?
Laboratory tests can help
identify crypto as the cause of illness.� These tests identify the parasite
in the stools of an infected person.� The tests are usually not performed
unless the laboratory is instructed specifically to look for the organism.�
Because testing for crypto can be difficult, you may be asked to submit
several stool samples over several days.
What is
the treatment for crypto?
There is no effective treatment for crypto.� Most people
with a healthy immune system will recover on their own.� If you have diarrhea,
drink plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration.� Rapid loss of fluids from
diarrhea can be life-threatening in babies.� Parents should talk to their
health care provider about fluid replacement therapy options for babies.�
Anti-diarrheal medicine may help slow down diarrhea, but consult with your
health care provider before taking it.
People who are in poor health or who have a weakened immune system are at
higher risk for more severe and more prolonged illness.� For persons with
AIDS, anti-retroviral therapy that improves immune status will also decrease
or eliminate symptoms of crypto.� However, crypto is usually not cured and
may come back if the immune status worsens.� See your health care provider
to discuss anti-retroviral therapy used to improve immune status.
How do
I remove crypto from my drinking water?
Fully boiling your water for 1 minute (3 minutes if you live
in a high altitude) will kill or inactivate crypto.� Water should
then be stored in a clean container with a lid and refrigerated.
An alternative
to boiling water is using a point-of-use filter.� Not all home water filters
remove crypto.� Filters that are designed to remove crypto should have one
of the following labels:�
- Reverse osmosis,
- Absolute pore size of 1 micron
or smaller,
- Tested and certified by NSF
Standard 53 for cyst removal, or
- Tested
and certified by NSF Standard 53 for cyst reduction.�
If you want
to know more about these filters, please contact NSF International, an organization
for public health and safety through standards development, product certification,
education, and risk-management.�
NSF International
3475 Plymouth Road
P.O. Box 130140
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48113-0140
Phone number: (877) 867-3435
Web
site: http://www.nsf.org
You may also disinfect your well.� It is important to note
that crypto is extremely resistant to chlorination, making chlorination
an ineffective intervention.� Contact your local health department for recommended
procedures.� Remember to have your well water tested regularly after disinfection
to make sure the problem does not recur.�
Revised Summer 2003
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