Two new parasite cases found

Illnesses not thought to be part of cryptosporidium outbreak

Two more Douglas County residents are suffering the persistent diarrhea, stomach cramps and fever caused by cryptosporidiosis, health officials announced Thursday.

But the new cases — confirmed this week by the Lawrence-Douglas County Health Department — aren’t expected to trigger another outbreak of the parasitic illness that sickened at least 89 county residents late this summer.

That’s because the two adult victims appear to have no connections to community swimming pools, day-care operations or other cases elsewhere in the region, according to an investigation by the Health Department.

And that means there’s little chance of anyone else getting sick from the infected adults, as long as the two continue to wash their hands often and otherwise practice good hygiene.

“Certainly, to those (two) individuals we don’t want to say it’s no big deal, because they’re dealing with a very difficult illness that can last for a couple of weeks and can be very discomforting and difficult for a while,” said Sharon Watson, a spokeswoman for the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. “But as far as it spreading to other individuals, we don’t see that as being a concern at this point.”

But county health officials aren’t taking any chances.

Barbara Schnitker, the Health Department’s director of nurses, said officials already had notified doctors’ offices in the area about the latest cases and emphasized the importance of reporting and testing for potential cases of cryptosporidiosis.

The illness is caused by exposure to cryptosporidium, a microscopic parasite found in the infected feces of people and animals. A person becomes infected by swallowing contaminated food or water or coming in contact with an infected surface.

There is no treatment for the illness in adults. While the parasite can be fatal to patients with weakened immune systems, people who are otherwise healthy typically recover within two to three weeks.

The best way to snuff out the illness, Schnitker said, is to preach prevention.

“We’re emphasizing scrupulous hand washing after using the bathroom, before preparing or eating food, and then of course the issue of not swimming when ill with diarrhea,” she said. “It’s the prevention messages that are really, really important.”

In July, Douglas County became the epicenter of an outbreak that prompted closure of public pools in Lawrence and warnings to day-care operations about proper diaper-changing techniques.

Of the state’s 166 confirmed cases of cryptosporidiosis this year, 142 have been in northeast Kansas. This year’s totals from area counties, according to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment:¢ Douglas, 91¢ Johnson, 21¢ Shawnee, 11¢ Jefferson, five¢ Leavenworth, three

Last month, after 89 county residents had been confirmed with the illness, county health officials declared the outbreak all but dead because the parasite’s incubation period had passed without any new confirmed cases.

The two new cases, Watson said, do not indicate a relapse — just the simple reality that the pesky parasite lurks where proper hygiene lacks.

“This is a reminder that it’s still there, and it’s still in the environment,” Watson said. “It’s something to be concerned about and to take precautions against but not to be alarmed about.”