Last year, Arizona saw an increase in the parasitic infection cryptosporidium, also called crypto, which is typically found in pools and recreational water. The number of cases nationwide also appear to be on the rise.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) found that at least 32 outbreaks of crypto were reported in 2016, compared to 16 in 2014. The CDC can’t explain the uptick.
"We don’t know if there’s a true increase in the number of outbreaks we’re seeing in the U.S., or if we’re just better about picking up the outbreaks because of better laboratory testing or better tracking and surveillance of the outbreaks," said Michele Hlavsa with the CDC.
Hlavsa said crypto is resistant to chlorine.
"It’s important to keep children who have diarrhea out of the water," Hlavas said. "It’s so hard to kill crypto, if someone has a diarrheal incident in the water, they can make a whole community sick potentially."
It only takes a mouthful of contaminated water to make a healthy person sick, according to the CDC. Crypto causes watery diarrhea, abdominal cramping and vomiting.
