About Cryptosporidiosis (2024)

FAQs

About Cryptosporidiosis? ›

Cryptosporidiosis (often called “Crypto”) is a diarrheal disease caused by the protozoan parasite Cryptosporidium spp. Cryptosporidium is passed in the stool of an infected person or animal.

Cryptosporidiosis is caused by the parasite Cryptosporidium. Once inside your body, the parasite passes through your digestive tract and infects your intestines and stool. Anything contaminated with the infected stool can pass the infection on to other people.

Most people who have healthy immune systems will recover from cryptosporidiosis (typically diarrhea lasting days to weeks) without treatment. Nitazoxanide is a prescription medication to treat cryptosporidiosis in people with healthy immune systems and at least one year old.

Cryptosporidiosis is a contagious disease that causes watery diarrhea. It is caused by parasites called Cryptosporidium, or Crypto .

Infected people and animals shed the protozoa in their feces; this contaminates the environment. Cryptosporidium can survive up to 2 to 6 months in damp environments.

Is Cryptosporidium serious? Cryptosporidium infections usually aren't serious for someone with a healthy immune system. If you have a compromised immune system, cryptosporidiosis can cause severe and long-lasting diarrhea, which can be life-threatening.

People become ill 2 to 10 days (average 7 days) after exposure to Cryptosporidium. Symptoms usually last about 1 to 2 weeks in healthy persons, but can last longer.

Boiling (Rolling boil for 1 minute) has a very high effectiveness in killing Cryptosporidium; Filtration has a high effectiveness in removing Cryptosporidium when using an absolute less than or equal to 1 micron filter (NSF Standard 53 or 58 rated “cyst reduction / removal” filter);

Symptoms of giardiasis may include: Explosive, watery, foul-smelling stools. Greasy stools that tend to float.

Soak contaminated surfaces for 20 minutes with a 3% hydrogen peroxide (99% kill rate), and then rinse them thoroughly. No disinfectant is guaranteed to be completely effective against Cryptosporidium. However, hydrogen peroxide is more effective than standard bleach solutions.

What to eat when you have Cryptosporidium? ›

People with cryptosporidiosis should drink plenty of clear fluids (ex: water, clear juices and soups) to prevent dehydration, caused by diarrhea. Resting and eating foods that are easy to digest (ex: bananas, rice, soft crackers) will help you get better.

The degree to which a previously infected person is immune to subsequent Cryptosporidium infection is unclear. There may be some resistance to reinfection, but it can likely be overwhelmed by a sufficiently large dose of the parasite, resulting in recurrence of illness.

These complications can occur: Inflammation of a bile duct. Inflammation of the gallbladder. Inflammation of the liver (hepatitis)

It can also spread by contact with infected animals, or in shared water such as spas, swimming pools and shared baths. Alcohol based hand sanitiser does not kill the cryptosporidium bug, or stop the spread of the microscopic crypto cysts. But, washing hands with soap and water is effective.

Currently, nitazoxanide is the only proven anti-parasitic treatment for Cryptosporidium infections. However, it is not effective in severely immunocompromised patients and there is limited data in infants. Immune reconstitution or decreased immunosuppression is critical to therapy in AIDS and transplant patients.

Because it's hard to tell if someone has crypto, be careful with any partner: Avoid rimming (kissing or licking the anus). It's very likely to spread infection, even after washing. Always wash your hands well after touching your partner's anus. Avoid touching farm animals.