Tom Goff by

Disease
Cryptosporidiosis, is a parasitic disease caused by Cryptosporidium. It affects the distal small intestine and can affect the respiratory tract in both individuals with a normal immune systems and immunocompromised individuals, resulting in watery diarrhea with or without a cough. In immunosuppressed individuals, the symptoms can be fatal. It is spread through the fecal-oral route through contaminated water. It may be that it can also be transmitted via fomites in respiratory secretions.

Cryptosporidium is commonly isolated in HIV-positive patients with diarrhea. It is one of the most common waterborne diseases and is found worldwide. The infection begins when a human consumes food or water containing cysts of the Cryptosporidium.

SYMPTOMS
The first signs and symptoms of cryptosporidium infection usually appear within a week after infection and may include:

Watery diarrhea
Dehydration
Lack of appetite
Weight loss
Stomach cramps or pain
Fever
Nausea
Vomiting

Symptoms may last for up to two weeks, though they may come and go sporadically for up to a month, even in people with healthy immune systems. Some people with cryptosporidium infection may have no symptoms.

PREVENTION
Cryptosporidium infection is contagious, so be careful to avoid spreading the parasite to other people. There's no vaccine that can prevent a cryptosporidium infection. All preventive methods aim to reduce or prevent the transmission of the cryptosporidium germs that are shed in human and animal feces. Precautions are especially important for people with compromised immune systems.
You should follow these suggestions:

Practice good hygiene. Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and water after using the toilet and changing diapers, and before and after eating. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers do not effectively kill the germs that cause cryptosporidium infection. Thoroughly wash with uncontaminated water all fruits and vegetables that you will eat raw, and avoid eating any food you suspect might be contaminated. If you're traveling in a developing country, avoid uncooked foods. Purify drinking water if you have a weakened immune system or are traveling in an area with a high risk of infection. Methods include boiling — at least one minute at a rolling boil — or filtering, you'll need a separate water filter for bacteria and viruses. Limit swimming activities in lakes, streams and public swimming pools, especially if the water is likely to be contaminated or if you have a compromised immune system. Avoid fecal exposure during sexual activity.Handle newborn farm and domestic animals with care. Be sure to wash your hands after handling the animals.

WHO GETS IT AND HOW IS IT ACQUIRED?
People who are at increased risk of cryptosporidiosis are:

Those who are exposed to contaminated water
Children, particularly those wearing diapers, who attend child care centers
Parents of infected children
Child care workers
Animal handlers
Those who engage in oral-to-anal sexual activity
International travelers, especially those traveling to developing countries
Backpackers, hikers and campers who drink untreated, unfiltered water
Swimmers who swallow water in pools, lakes and rivers
People who drink water from shallow, unprotected wells

You can get cryptosporidia by touching anything that has come in contact with contaminated feces.
Some ways of infection are:

Drinking contaminated water that contains cryptosporidium parasites
Swimming in contaminated water that contains cryptosporidium parasites and accidentally swallowing some of it
Eating uncooked, contaminated food that contains cryptosporidia
Touching your hand to your mouth if your hand has been in contact with a contaminated surface or object
Having close contact with other infected people or animals — especially their feces — which can allow the parasite to be transmitted from your hands to your mouth.

TREATMENT
Most people who have healthy immune systems will get well without treatment. Diarrhea can be managed by drinking plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration. However, even if symptoms disappear, cryptosporidiosis is often not curable and the symptoms may return if the immune status worsens.

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