Biological Contaminates
1) General
Facts about Cryptosporidium
a. Is a gastrointestinal illness (which is diarrhea
in humans)
b. Is commonly associated with HIV-positive
patients present with diarrhea cases
c. Causes diarrheal illness called
cryptosporidiosis
d. Also is an acute, short term illness but becomes
severe in children and immunocompromised individuals (immunocompromised means that the individual
is lacking an immune system which is a result of disease, treatment with
immunosuppressive drugs, or exposure to radiation)
e. The parasite that causes cryptosporidium (often
called “crypto”) stays in the lower intestine for up to five weeks and is
transmitted by environmentally hardy cysts which are already in the small
intestine and can cause an infection of intestinal epithelial tissue
f. Cryptosporidium parvum is the genome and is
uncommon with eukaryotes because the mitochondria does not contain DNA
2) Cryptosporidium
can hurt us by:
a. Living as a parasite in the intestines of
infected humans and others can become infected if they come in contact with
food, soil, or water that has also been infected.
b. Symptoms include:
- stomach cramps
- dehydration
- nausea
- vomiting
- fever
- weight loss
c. People who are at high risk for
cryptosporidiosis:
- children
- child care workers
- people associated with people who have
cryptosporidium
3) Cryptosporidium
can get into our water by:
a. Starting out as a parasite
b. It usually infects animals and then the animals
dispose of their waste (also infected)which then gets into the ground water or
if there has been a hard rain the waste can be washed away into a nearby river or
lake which is then collected and distributed to counties and thus spread to
people who then spread it to other people.
4) How
to get rid of Cryptosporidium:
a. The parasite can with stand the treatments that
the water undergoes so therefore it will stay in the water and continue to be
passed on to other people.
b. However, a filter can be used which can prevent consumption.
A highly recommended filter is provided by the NSF International.
-It is a parasite that lives in the intestines of people and animals
and causes diarrhea.
-Giardia is encased within cysts and once it is inside a person or
animal, the Giardia is released from the cyst.
-Some symptoms of Giardia include:
• Malaise (a vague feeling of
discomfort)
• Foul-smelling and fatty stools
• Abdominal cramps, gas, and
bloating
• Nausea or vomiting
• Weight loss-Giardia becomes encased in a cyst. The cyst can live
outside of the host for several months and within cold water for several months
as well.
-It can be easily removed through filtration because they are larger
than bacteria.
-Disinfection with super chlorination will kill the giardia cyst.
-The best way to prevent Giardia is to wash hands frequently.
-A bacterium that is in the intestines of humans and other primates, some kinds of which cause dysentery.
-It is a highly contagious germ that causes diarrhea.
-Some symptoms of Shigella include:
• Diarrhea (often containing blood or mucus)
• Abdominal cramps
• Fever
-Shigella can enter the water through sewage overflows, sewage systems
that are not working properly, and polluted storm water runoffs. Wells are more
vulnerable to this contamination after flooding.
-It can be removed multiple ways: it can be boiled for one minute and
stored in a sanitized container, it can be killed with ultraviolet light, and
it can be purified with iodine tablets.
What about Giardia????
ReplyDeleteHow common is cryptosporidium ?
ReplyDeleteThe exact number of outbreaks per year is unknown however the largest recorded outbreak was back in 1993 in Milwaukee where approximately 400,000 people were said to of have cryptosporidiosis (cryptosporidium) and it was first recognized as a disease in 1976. Hope this helps! -Mary Broomall
DeleteCan these parasites multiply once they are inside you?
ReplyDeleteIs there any way to treat cryptosporidium once it is in the body?
ReplyDeleteIf left untreated can these illnesses cause death and how quickly?
ReplyDeleteIn what countries are these diseases most common? And what are they doing to treat them if there is anyway possible to do so?
ReplyDelete