Three people in Minnesota became ill from cryptosporidiois (“crypto”) after visiting Shades of Sherwood Campground in Zumbrota and one required hospitalization — and state Health Department officials are asking anyone who visited that campground since July 1st to contact them, even if they didn’t get sick. Spokeswoman Trisha Robinson says the purpose is to “identify what the source of the illnesses are, and then also steps that we can take to make sure that there is no ongoing risk to people that are staying there.”
Crypto spreads when people come in contact with fecal matter from an infected person or animal. It’s caused by a microscopic parasite which can survive outside the body for a long time and is highly resistant to chlorine. Symptoms often include diarrhea, stomach cramps, vomiting, loss of appetite, weight loss and low-grade fever.
Those campground cases in Zumbrota highlight the need for good hygiene during this water recreation season in Minnesota. Robinson says people who have diarrhea, stomach cramps, vomiting and the like should not go swimming. And she says, “People who are swimming, things you can do to protect yourself is not swallow the water or intentionally put the water in your mouth. And it also helps to keep the water healthy for everybody if you do take a shower before you go swimming.”
Experts say people typically become ill about a week after exposure to crypto, but it can range from two to 14 days. Most people recover in one to two weeks, but stools can be infectious for at least two weeks after symptoms end. Ten to 15 percent of cases require hospitalization. For those with weakened immune systems, crypto can be life-threatening.
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