To the editor:

How many people have to get sick to get the attention of the Douglas County Health Department? How many preliminary cases of a parasite does it take for our community to be notified by the City of Lawrence?

It is ridiculous that important heath-related information was kept from the public about the cryptosporidium parasite. Everyone who used the public pools (swimming lessons or recreational) during the hottest summer months were put at risk unnecessarily.

If the public had been notified from the beginning of this, many people could have prevented the spread of this parasite (and the pain and discomfort associated with it).

It’s too bad that those who knew about this chose not to disclose this information and a couple of day-care facilities were made out to be the scapegoat.

Maybe money is a factor and the health of our community is not a high priority. It’s too bad many of our tax dollars are being spent fighting people wanting to build Wal-Marts rather than fighting contagious parasites (no pun intended).

Robin and Todd Kofford,

Lawrence