CDC warns swimmers about ‘Crypto,’ a parasite that can live for days in pools

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2019/07/01/cdc-warn-swimmers-about-crypto-parasite-that-can-live-days-pools/?utm_term=.7af8dff3b95e

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published a report last week about the increased number of outbreaks caused by the fecal parasite, Cryptosporidium, more commonly known as “Crypto.”
public health experts warn the parasite may pose a greater risk to people who are especially young or old, or who have compromised immune systems and are at increased risk of “life-threatening malnutrition.”

The CDC said that over the past decade, there have been more than 400 reported outbreaks in the United States, leading to nearly 7,500 people becoming sick. Of those, more than 200 people were hospitalized and one person died as a result of the disease, according to the report.

Post Edited (IamCurious) : 7/1/2019 8:35:27 PM (GMT-6)

More parasite species are moving north as the climate warms. It's going to be a big problem in the future.

People on immunosuppressant meds should also be careful about natural bodies of water too, especially when that water is warm. Lots of different bacteria, some deadly, thrives in warm water where you would not suspect it to be.

ambling
A 77 year old woman died last week north of where I live in Florida from a bacterial infection called vibrio vulnificus that she got walking in the water after tripping on shells and getting a cut on her knee. Yesterday news reported a man in Galveston TX got the same infection from beach water in Corpus Christi. Vibrio vulnificus is commonly known as "flesh eating bacteria" and becoming more common. Not paranoia if it's true, but I wish it wasn't true.

Also do not eat shellfish from warm bodies of water, they can contain the same bacteria.

Yes, being immunocompromised sucks. Thanks for the reminder. Last year there was a 19 year old girl with crohn's somewhere in the east of the US who died from adenovirus which has symptoms a bit like a cold in healthy people. She'd been taking immunosuppressant medication.

imagardener2 said...
ambling
A 77 year old woman died last week north of where I live in Florida from a bacterial infection called vibrio vulnificus that she got walking in the water after tripping on shells and getting a cut on her knee. Yesterday news reported a man in Galveston TX got the same infection from beach water in Corpus Christi. Vibrio vulnificus is commonly known as "flesh eating bacteria" and becoming more common. Not paranoia if it's true, but I wish it wasn't true.

Also do not eat shellfish from warm bodies of water, they can contain the same bacteria.

The rise of vibrio in the Gulf is because of pollution and climate change. The ecology that normally keeps vibrio in check has been destroyed by human activities and then the waters are warming. I think in the future we are going to see a lot more incurable infections, and it's all because humanity couldn't stop polluting the planet. Sad, really.

A lot of the U.S. population is subclinical immune compromised because of the obesity epidemic and how stressful life has become. People eat poorly, don't exercise, and are stressed to the max. We are ripe for an epidemic.

MarkwithIBD said A lot of the U.S. population is subclinical immune compromised because of the obesity epidemic and how stressful life has become. People eat poorly, don't exercise, and are stressed to the max. We are ripe for an epidemic.

Well the latest victim was a non-immune compromised, healthy boy who got vibrio in Ocean City, Maryland inland bay waters. From what I read it was not from skin cuts, it appeared all over his body after swimming. In Florida we have had red tide, blue green algae and vibrio on all coasts. Agricultural pollution (fertilizer run-off feeding bacteria) is being looked at as one possible cause. Sewage spills in the bay creating fecal coliform have closed several Sarasota County beaches for swimming and wading this week (that's a big deal here). Beaches are the #1 money driver in Florida, people are starting to wake-up about the problem when it hits their wallet: jobs, real estate rentals, tourism. Health? Meh, they say "Didn't happen to me."