Sydney Australia: Hundreds of cases of cryptosporidiosis found at pools; 250 sick already

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Hundreds of cases of cryptosporidiosis found at pools; 250 sick already
By Kate Sikora
The Daily Telegraph
February 28, 2009 12:01am

Outbreak of cryptosporidiosis
250 cases, thousands could be affected


Fearing an outbreak of the nasty gastro bug, which 10 years ago left more than 1000 people ill after swimming, health officials yesterday warned the public to be cautious.

At least 19 pools have been ordered to super-chlorinate their water after infected people identified they became sick after swimming, The Daily Telegraph reports.

The germ spreads with such ferocity, especially in summer and in pools, that 44 cases alone have been identified in the past day.

NSW Health's director of communicable diseases Dr Jeremy McAnulty said anyone who had diarrhoea in the past fortnight needed to stay out of pools.

"While there is no common link among most cases, some have reported swimming in common pools," he said.


"Pools can be easily contaminated by infectious swimmers and so it is vital that people take care."
NSW Health said there was no evidence these pools were the cause of any infection.

Most of the affected pools are from western Sydney.

NSW Health is refusing to name them individually, fearing it will lay blame and cause further panic.
All pools associated with the bug have been tested, but no evidence of contamination has been found.

Cryptosporidiosis is a diarrhoeal disease caused by a parasitic infection of the intestine. It surges in summer usually because people are outdoors drinking uncontaminated water and playing with animals.

Children are most susceptible with half of the confirmed cases under five.

Dr McAnulty said the number of cases had doubled since January, sparking concern it could soon mirror the horror outbreak of 1998.

"We don't know if any pool is the source of the outbreak but we know from previous outbreaks that swimming is a link," he said.

"Cryptosporidiosis is a bug that lives in animals and people can carry it. Once it gets into swimming pools then it can really amplify."

The last major outbreak was the summer of 1998.

The same year, panic gripped Sydney when bugs, giardia and cryptosporidiosis, were found in the Prospect water filtration plant.

It became known as Sydney's water crisis and households were ordered to boil water.

Despite the fear that thousands of people would fall ill, not one person was found to become sick.

There is no treatment for the infection. Symptoms include diarrhoea, stomach cramps, fever, nausea and vomiting which can last weeks and sometimes even months.

THE symptoms of cryptosporidiosis may include:

* diarrhea

* loose or watery stools

* stomach cramps

* a slight fever

Some persons do not present any symptoms. If symptoms are present, they often last about two weeks and then you may feel better.

However, you continue to pass the parasite for up to two months, and during this period you may spread the infection to others.

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