This protozoan parasite has contaminated the water supply

The intestinal parasite, Cryptosporidium has caused more than 2000 people in the Swedish town of Ostersund to become ill. The citizens contracted the parasite through the municipal water supply.

Some believe the contamination of the water supply may be a case of criminal negligence and an investigation is underway.

One person who believes this is Environmental prosecutor Christer B. Jarlas. Jarlas said He said he has reason to believe that the contamination was due to carelessness by one or several individuals who didn’t have control of their operations.

The city of 50,000 is under a boil water advisory which may last for a few weeks.

Cryptosporidium is a protozoan parasite of both medical and veterinary importance. There are two species associated with human infection; Cryptosporidium parvum and C. hominis.

Infection with Cryptosporidium represents a wide range of severity from asymptomatic infections to life-threatening diarrhea. Asymptomatic infections are a likely source of infection for other people.

The diarrhea is profuse and watery and is associated with abdominal cramps. In immunologically healthy people symptoms may come and go and is typically cleared in less than a month.

In people who cannot clear the parasite (HIV), the infection can be prolonged and can lead to death.

Infection with Cryptosporidium is typically transmitted by the fecal-oral route; fecally contaminated water or food and person-to-person contact.

There have been several outbreaks of Cryptosporidiosis seen worldwide with most being associated with recreational water, day care centers and drinking water contamination. The most notorious is the outbreak in Milwaukee in 1993 where 400,000 people got infected through the water plants filtration system.