To the editor:

The recent incidences of illness caused by the protozoan cryptosporidium were quickly tracked and isolated by the Lawrence-Douglas County Health Department. Once again we are reminded of the silent backbone of public health service provided by this department.

They made the hard decision to close public swimming pools during some of the hottest and driest days of the entire summer. Information to the public for the reasons for this action was disseminated quickly, the appropriate treatment to address the situation was applied in a timely manner, and public swimming pools were efficiently brought back into service in less than 48 hours. Through the professional efforts of the trained health department personnel, a potentially dangerous public health problem was averted.

We don’t often have the opportunity to recognize the effectiveness of our local public health system; this is a great opportunity to do so.

Debra Baker,

Lawrence