Hundreds of people in Devon have been attacked by a microscopic parasite that infiltrated their water supply.
Called cryptosporidium, commonly known as ‘crypto’, it can infect The digestive system of animals and people.
Once there, it causes symptoms such as watery diarrhea, stomach pain, vomiting, fever and loss of appetite.
Doctors technically call this disease cryptosporidiosis.
Sufferers often have to endure these symptoms for two weeks before they finally clear from their systems, but bouts of illness can last even longer, especially in people with weakened immune systems, such as cancer patients.
Cryptosporidium parasites are protected by a thick layer that allows them to survive even in chlorinated pool water.
South West Water has apologized to customers and provided detailed advice on how to remove disease-causing organisms from the water.
Sufferers may also experience periods of false hope in which their symptoms disappear for a few days, making them believe they have finally overcome the infection, only for it to return.
Most people are not offered treatment for cryptocurrencies and are instead told to drink plenty of fluids and minimize contact with other people while they wait until their symptoms subside.
People usually become infected with Crypto through contact with feces containing the parasite, whether from humans or animals, which then enters their mouth.
These infected faeces can contaminate lakes, streams, swimming pools and, as appears to be the case in Devon, water supplies.
The risk of water supplies becoming infected is greatest after periods of heavy rain and when animals are giving birth, such as in the calving season.
People can also contract it by caring for people infected with cryptocurrencies, especially young children.
This can happen when people change a diaper and then put their hands near their mouth or put them in their mouth without washing them thoroughly, for example.
Other possible sources of infection are contact with infected milk or with vegetables that have been fertilized with manure from infected animals and have not been thoroughly washed.
People infected by cryptocurrency are advised to take several measures to minimize transmission of the parasite to others in their household.
This includes washing dirty clothes, bedding, and towels at the highest temperature and not preparing other foods until you have been symptom-free for at least 48 hours, if possible.
Those infected are also advised not to go to work or school until they have been symptom-free for at least two days.
Because cryptocurrencies can survive in fecal matter for long periods of time, patients are asked not to go swimming until two weeks after the diarrhea has stopped.
This includes both natural bodies of water and swimming pools, as traces of dried infected excrement can be removed from an infected swimmer’s anus.
Traces of a disease-causing parasite have been found in the water of Brixham, Devon, and locals are advised to boil their tap water before drinking it.
South West Water posted a warning to Brixham customers on its website advising them to boil their tap water.
Infected people can shed up to 100 million cryptosporidium germs in a single bowel movement, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
And swallowing just 10 is enough to make you sick.
Regarding the current outbreak, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said that 22 cases of cryptosporidium infection have been confirmed in the town of Brixham, Devon.
Residents have been asked to boil water to try to avoid contracting infections.
The area’s water supplier, South West Water, said “small traces” of the Cryptosporidium parasite were found in Brixham’s water supplies.
UKHSA is leading an investigation into the outbreak. People living in two different areas have been asked to boil tap water before drinking it, and bottled water stations are being installed.
South West Water said it was “urgently investigating” the outbreak in Devon, adding: “Customers in Alston and the Hillhead area of Brixham are advised to boil their drinking water before consuming it, following new test results. cryptosporidium”.
“We issued this advisory after detecting small traces of the organism overnight and this morning.”
Sarah Bird, health protection consultant at UKHSA South West, said: “We advise people in affected areas to follow South West Water advice and boil drinking water and allow it to cool before using it.
“Anyone with a diarrheal illness should drink plenty of water to prevent dehydration and if you have severe symptoms such as bloody diarrhoea, you should contact NHS 111 or your GP.”
