Health authorities contacted members of the Lawrence Aquahawks swim team about a cryptosporidium outbreak in late July — a month before it alerted the rest of the city.

The early notification came after two members of the Kansas University swim team who train with Aquahawks were diagnosed with the parasite, sources said Tuesday.

Kay Kent, director of the Lawrence-Douglas County Health Department, said Tuesday that officials still were trying to determine the extent of the infection when they notified Aquahawks parents in July.

“It wasn’t that we knew there was a problem,” Kent said. “It’s that we were trying to find out if there was a problem.”

Also Tuesday, officials said the number of confirmed cases had risen to 70 from 46 on Friday. And Lawrence officials touted the results of tests they said showed the drinking water supply is free of the parasite.

But news that authorities were aware of the swimming pool connection a month before city pools were closed raised questions for some as to why the broader public was not notified at the time.

“We use the pools a lot, but we’re not the only people who use the pools,” said Mike Soderling, Aquahawks coach. “There are thousands of people who use those pools.”

No notification

Cryptosporidium is a microscopic parasite that causes diarrhea, loose or watery stool, stomach cramps, upset stomach and a slight fever — and that’s usually the worst of it. But the parasite can be fatal to patients with weakened immune systems, such as the young, elderly or people with HIV. More than two-thirds of those who contract cryptosporidiosis are children.

There is no treatment for the disease. Those who contract the parasite but are otherwise healthy usually recover within two or three weeks.

Aquahawks, the Lawrence youth swim club, has 200 swimmers. Soderling said Tuesday that aside from the two unidentified KU athletes, none of his swimmers contracted cryptosporidiosis.

¢ 6News video: Authorities waited to warn public about parasite¢ Parasite continues to spread (9-06-2003)¢ Lawrence-Douglas County Health Department Executive Director Kay Kent (9-5-03)¢ Crypto found at child center (9-5-03)¢ 6News video: Search for outbreak’s cause continues¢ Cryptosporidium cases on hold at 22 in county (8-31-03)¢ 6News video: City plans to test water supply (8-30-03)¢ Audio clips from city and county officials¢ Parasite outbreak strikes more victims (8-29-03)¢ 6News video: Outbreak spurs search for parasite’s source (8-29-03)¢ Letter to parents (pdf)¢ Questionnaire for parents (pdf)¢ Swimmers flock to pools opened after bacteria scare (8-25-03)¢ Outbreak closes city pools (8-23-03)¢ 6News video: Parasite discovered in city pools¢Centers for Disease Control information

“No kids have been sick since then,” he said. “It was really a small problem.”

Soderling said Aquahawks families received letters about cryptosporidium July 25; Kent said authorities became aware of the first case the previous day.

Aquahawks practice at all three city pools: Carl Knox Natatorium at Lawrence High School; the Outdoor Aquatic Center, 727 Ky.; and the Indoor Aquatic Center, 4706 Overland Drive.

Carl Knox and the outdoor pool were closed Aug. 22 for hyper-chlorination once the outbreak was revealed; the indoor pool already had been closed for maintenance. At the time, health officials had confirmed 11 cases.

Lori Madaus, the city’s aquatics manager, said pool officials became aware of the cases at the same time as Aquahawks. They took no action to notify other swimmers “because the Health Department was dealing with it,” Madaus said.

City Manager Mike Wildgen said the decision not to notify more swimmers played no role in the outbreak’s spread.

“We don’t believe so,” he said. “We were following the advice of the Health Department.”

The Aquahawks’ cases were confirmed two weeks after a mid-July swim meet at the indoor pool that featured swimmers from six states. Kent could not say Tuesday whether anyone in those swimmers’ home communities had been contacted about the outbreak.

“People,” Soderling said, “came from everywhere.”

No change

KU swim coach Clark Campbell declined to comment on his athletes’ health, citing federal privacy laws. Dr. Larry Magee of KU student health services wouldn’t comment on athletes but said the university was working to prevent the outbreak’s spread.

“Basically what we are doing is the same thing that anybody else in town is doing,” he said. “We are washing our hands a lot, and cleaning our whirlpools the way we would do. The outbreak in town has not changed our approach to anything.”

Kent said again Tuesday that tracking the source of the outbreak would take several months.

“It’s very usual that it would take this long,” she said.

But Chris Stewart, the city’s water director, offered proof the city’s water supply was not the cause. Testing both raw and treated water at the Kaw River and Clinton Lake water treatment plants turned up no sign of the parasite, he said.

Analytical Services Inc. of Williston, Vt., analyzed the samples for the city at a cost of $9,000. Kent said Baldwin and Wellsville, which receive water from Lawrence treatment plants, have seen no cases of the parasite.

“These results confirm that the state regulations are structured to protect our water, and we are confident that the city of Lawrence complies with those regulations,” Stewart said.

The Health Department’s next will update the public on the outbreak on Friday afternoon.