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Water Quality
Cryptosporidium in the Finger Lakes A parasite is an organism that lives in or on the living tissue of a host organism at the expense of that host. Cryptosporidium is a waterborne microscopic (4-6 microns) single-cell parasite commonly found in oceans, lakes, rivers, ponds, springs, streams and wells especially when the water is polluted with sewage, animal wastes, water runoff following rainfall, fecal accidents, and germs rinsed off the bottoms of swimmers. Cryptosporidium can also be found in water fountains, spas, jacuzzis, water parks, swimming pools, and hot tubs. Besides recreational swimming, people should consider drinking water, unpasturized cider and dairy products, and exposure to diapers, daycare facilities, pets, and livestock, as vehicles of Cryptosporidium as well. The most commonly reported illnesses related to recreational water activities are caused by parasites, such as Giardia and Cryptosporidium. If water is contaminated by feces and inadvertently swallowed or ingested by a human, he/she may become sick. Humans infected by Cryptosporidium are diagnosed with Cryptosporidiosis (KRIP-toe-spo-rid-ee-OH-sis), a diarrheal disease with symptoms such as loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration, and lethargy. There are multiple species of Cryptosporidium which infect fish, amphibia, reptiles, birds, and mammals, by growing inside the cells of the host animal, usually in the digestive tract. According to a report written by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Division of Parasitic Diseases, C. parvum is capable of infecting all species of mammals including humans. Other species of Cryptosporidium that infect birds (C. meleagridis and C. baileyi), rodents (C. muris), reptiles (C. serpentis), and fish (C. nasorum) are not generally considered to be infectious for humans. Cryptosporidium is unique to other parasites due to its ability to survive in chlorine treated waters. An outershell surrounding the Cryptosprodidia cysts protects the parasite and makes it resistant to chlorine disinfection. When in a host, the hard outershell is weakened by stomach acids and therefore leads to infection of the intestinal walls. Specific hygienic actions are recommended to prevent the transport and infection of Cryptosporidium. Sub-micron filters (1 micron in size or less) will prevent Cryptosporidium from entering drinking water (see diagram). However, there are risks for these types of ceramic and carbon block filtration systems to crack and allow pathogens to flow unfiltered. The Environmental Protection Agency has specific rules and stringent standards, stated as the National Primary Drinking Water Regulations, to follow when assessing the treatment process of a public water system and the contamination of microorganisms, such as Cryptosporidium. These standards, written under the National Safe Drinking Water Act, are legally enforceable standards that apply to public water systems. To learn more about other parasitic microorganisms found in water or more about Cryptosporidium, consider reading the following research papers, newspaper articles, and links. Research on Cryptosporidium: Darnault, Christophe J. G., Tammo S. Steenhuis, Patricia Garnier, Young-Jin Kim, Michael B. Jenkins, William C. Ghiorse, Philippe C. Baveye, and J.-Yves Parlange “Preferential Flow and Transport of Cryptosporidium parvum Oocysts through the Vadose Zone: Experiments and Modeling.” Vadose Zone Journal 3:262–270 (2004). Searcy, Kristin E., Aaron I. Packman, Edward R. Atwill, and Thomas Harter3. “Association of Cryptosporidium parvum with Suspended Particles: Impact on Oocyst Sedimentation.” Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 71.2 (Feb. 2005): 1072–1078. Butkus, Michael A., Jeffrey A. Starke, Dwight D. Bowman, Michael Labare, Elizabeth A. Fogarty, Araceli Lucio-Forster, Joseph Barbi, Michael B. Jenkins, Mary Pavlo, Michael A. Butkus. “Do Iodine Water Purification Tablets Provide an Effective Barrier against Cryptosporidium parvum?” Military Medicine 170 (Jan 2005): 83:86.
Finger Lakes Times, Thursday, August 18, 2005 Finger Lakes Times, Friday, August 19, 2005 Finger Lakes Times, Saturday, August 20, 2005 Finger Lakes Times, Tuesday, August 23, 2005 Finger Lakes Times, Wednesday, August 24, 2005 Finger Lakes Times, Thursday, August 25, 2005 Finger Lakes Times, Friday, August 26, 2005 Finger Lakes Times, Saturday, August 30, 2005 Common Waterborne Parasites:
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