Johnson County issues reminder on diarrhea-causing disease

Tricia Kitzmann, Deputy Director of Johnson County Public Health, said the county has seen several cases of the water-borne disease, cryptosporidium, in the last few weeks.

“It's the time of year,” Kitzmann said. “That's not unusual.”

She added, however, that swimmers should be reminded not to enter the water if they have symptoms of the disease.

The following information is from Johnson County Public Health:

Cryptosporidium is one of the most frequent causes of waterborne disease among humans in the United States. Cryptosporidium activity usually peaks in July or August.

What is Crypto?

Crypto (krip-TOE), short for Cryptosporidium, is a germ that causes diarrhea. This germ is found in the fecal matter of a person who has been infected by Crypto. It has a tough outer shell that allows it to survive for a long time in the environment. It can survive for days even in properly chlorinated pools. Symptoms of illness include abdominal cramps, severe, watery diarrhea, and loss of appetite. Young children may have asymptomatic infections. Symptoms last about one to two weeks and the disease has an incubation period that averages seven days. Person-to-person spread in a household and in child care settings is common.

Why should I be concerned about Crypto?

Crypto is one of the most common causes of recreational water illness (disease caused by germs spread through pool water) in the United States and can cause prolonged diarrhea (for 1–2 weeks). It can make anyone sick, but certain groups of people are more likely to become seriously ill when infected with Crypto:

• Young children
• Pregnant women
• Individuals with weakened immune systems

Crypto can be spread by:

• Swallowing recreational water contaminated with Crypto. You share the water and the germs in it with every person who enters the pool. This means that just one person with diarrhea can easily contaminate the water. Swallowing even a small amount of pool water that has been contaminated with the Crypto can make you sick. Recreational water is water from swimming pools, hot tubs, fountains, lakes, rivers, springs, ponds, or streams that can be contaminated with sewage or feces from humans or animals.
• Putting something in your mouth or swallowing something (such as food) that has come in contact with the stool of a person or animal infected with Crypto.
• Swallowing Crypto picked up from surfaces (such as lounge chairs, picnic tables, bathroom fixtures, changing tables) contaminated with stool from an infected person.

Johnson County Public Health encourages following these steps to keep germs from causing recreational water illnesses:

• Don't swim when you have diarrhea. You can spread germs in the water and make other people sick.
• Don't swallow the pool water. Avoid getting water in your mouth.
• Practice good hygiene. Shower with soap before swimming and wash your hands after using the toilet or changing diapers. Germs on your body end up in the water.
• People ill with crypto should not use “kiddie” pools, swimming pools, beaches, or any other recreational water while having symptoms, and for at least two weeks after their diarrhea ends, since people can still spread the organism even after symptoms resolve.

www.cdc.gov/crypto

What is Crypto?

Crypto (krip-TOE), short for Cryptosporidium, is a germ that causes diarrhea. This germ is found in the fecal matter of a person who has been infected by Crypto. It has a tough outer shell that allows it to survive for a long time in the environment. It can survive for days even in properly chlorinated pools. Symptoms of illness include abdominal cramps, severe, watery diarrhea, and loss of appetite. Young children may have asymptomatic infections. Symptoms last about one to two weeks and the disease has an incubation period that averages seven days. Person-to-person spread in a household and in child care settings is common.

Why should I be concerned about Crypto?

Crypto is one of the most common causes of recreational water illness (disease caused by germs spread through pool water) in the United States and can cause prolonged diarrhea (for 1–2 weeks). It can make anyone sick, but certain groups of people are more likely to become seriously ill when infected with Crypto:

• Young children
• Pregnant women
• Individuals with weakened immune systems

Crypto can be spread by:

• Swallowing recreational water contaminated with Crypto. You share the water and the germs in it with every person who enters the pool. This means that just one person with diarrhea can easily contaminate the water. Swallowing even a small amount of pool water that has been contaminated with the Crypto can make you sick. Recreational water is water from swimming pools, hot tubs, fountains, lakes, rivers, springs, ponds, or streams that can be contaminated with sewage or feces from humans or animals.
• Putting something in your mouth or swallowing something (such as food) that has come in contact with the stool of a person or animal infected with Crypto.
• Swallowing Crypto picked up from surfaces (such as lounge chairs, picnic tables, bathroom fixtures, changing tables) contaminated with stool from an infected person.

Johnson County Public Health encourages following these steps to keep germs from causing recreational water illnesses:

• Don't swim when you have diarrhea. You can spread germs in the water and make other people sick.
• Don't swallow the pool water. Avoid getting water in your mouth.
• Practice good hygiene. Shower with soap before swimming and wash your hands after using the toilet or changing diapers. Germs on your body end up in the water.
• People ill with crypto should not use “kiddie” pools, swimming pools, beaches, or any other recreational water while having symptoms, and for at least two weeks after their diarrhea ends, since people can still spread the organism even after symptoms resolve.

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