An outbreak of a "nasty" gastrointestinal parasite has been reported by officials in Northern Kentucky amid dozens of reported infections from local swimming pools.
The Northern Kentucky Health Department said that its offices had been "swamped" with phone calls, and one local leisure center has shut down in response to the outbreak.
"The outbreak was just declared four days ago, so the numbers are still relatively low at this point: 16 confirmed cases, with 20 probable cases from family members of those who have been confirmed," Skip Tate, public information officer for the Northern Kentucky Health Department, told Newsweek.
"That said, since we announced the outbreak our epidemiology department has been swamped with phone calls from people reporting being ill and swimming in local public pools, so we expect the numbers to go up significantly as they get tested and their results are confirmed."
The parasite in question is called Cryptosporidium, also known simply as "Crypto." The parasite can live in water, food, soil, and surfaces that have been contaminated with infected poop, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
When ingested, the infectious microbe can cause a disease called cryptosporidiosis.
"If you're healthy, the parasite is nasty, but you shouldn't be in any significant danger. You'll have watery diarrhea, intestinal discomfort, vomiting," Tate said. "The danger with those symptoms is they can lead to other issues, such as dehydration, which can cause other more serious health issues. As a result, infants and those who are immunocompromised are most at risk since they don't have the strength to fight off the bug, its symptoms, and the associated issues."
Tate said that symptoms typically don't show up for an average of seven days after coming into contact with the parasite, so it can be difficult to determine exactly when and where you caught it.
The majority of the cases in Northern Kentucky have been traced back to one location: the Silverlake Water Park in Erlanger. "Once we let the pool know, they shut down and super-chlorinated the pool in an effort to kill the parasite," Tate said.
"That said, we're being told by others that they also swam in other local public pools in both Northern Kentucky and across the river in Cincinnati, so there may be more pools involved as things evolve. We haven't been able to match confirmed cases with other pools, though, at least not yet."
Newsweek have reached out to Silverlake Water Park via email for comment.
Tate added that other local pools in the area had been alerted of the outbreak. However, water is not the only way you can become infected with this parasite.
"We're also reaching out to day care centers and schools," Tate said. "Both are just starting back, and we've already had three kids in day care and two in schools who we were told went swimming and are now sick. When the parasite is in water, it spreads easily and quickly, but that's not the only way it spreads. If you're changing a diapers at a daycare or a students gets diarrhea at school, you can pick it up just as easily. Wash. Your. Hands."
If you think you have been exposed to Crypto, Tate said you should get tested by your family physician. "Tell them that it may be Crypto," Tate said. "Under normal circumstances, if you tell them you have diarrhea and stomach cramps or vomiting, they may think it's just a virus. Crypto probably isn't going to be at the top of their diagnosis list.
"If Crypto is confirmed, the physician may be able to prescribe some stronger medicines to help treat the symptoms, because that's really all that can be done—treat the symptoms."
It's also important not to go swimming in public pools for at least two weeks after infection as the parasite can linger in your system long after symptoms have subsided.
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