What is Cryptosporidium
Cryptosporidium is the parasite that shattered our confidence in chlorine as a way of disinfecting our drinking water of all microorganisms.
In 1993, an outbreak of diarrhea and intestinal disorders in Milwaukee was discovered to be due to this parasite that had gotten into the water system.
The Milwaukee water treatment system was functioning well and there was no reason to suspect infection coming through the water.
But after weeks of searching, it became clear that cryptosporidium had just caused the largest waterborne outbreak of illness in the history of the United States. It is estimated that 400,000 people were infected.
In this article, I will explain what cryptosporidium is in water.
Cryptosporidium prevention and, also explain the sources of this parasite.
Is Cryptosporidium an insect or a parasite?
It is a microscopic parasite, similar to giardia, which is bred and multiplied in humans as well as animals and discharged in their waste or sewage.
Cow dung is one of the chief sources of cryptosporidium parvum. It causes an intestinal illness called cryptosporidiosis.
The cyst is extremely hardy and durable. It can get through chlorine disinfectant treatment in city water systems and make it to your tap.
The cyst is encased in a shell-like cover which once in the stomach, is dissolved by the stomach acids and in turn wreaks havoc with the intestines and multiplies itself to be discharged in the stool.
Then the cycle repeats itself.
How does Cryptosporidium get into our water?
Imagine a herd of cattle that are infected with this parasite. Their dung, filled with the cysts of this parasite, is then used as fertilizer and spread on the fields.
Rain and snow come and wash the cysts into streams, rivers, and lakes. Other cysts seep into the ground and become a part of groundwater, eventually appearing in wells.
These cysts are so durable that they can survive in or out of bodies and they can resist disinfectants, such as chlorine.
It's not just through water that one can become a victim of cryptosporidiosis, but there are various ways of being contaminated.
Anything that comes in contact with infected human or animal waste can be infected.
It enters the body through the mouth. Food that is touched by unwashed hands can infect the eater. Water taken in by accident in a pool or lake can give you cryptosporidiosis.
You can know if Cryptosporidium is present in your drinking water by checking your local Consumer Confidence Report. If it is, the best way to remove it is to use the right kind of filter.
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