Residents of Devon, southern England, are fighting with a diarrhoea-type illness, attributed to a faulty valve that may have allowed a parasite into the water system.
The BBC reports that 22 cases of cryptosporidiosis were confirmed in Brixham on Wednesday, with over 100 people reporting symptoms to doctors in the past week. A local primary school announced closure, stating that operations couldn’t continue without drinking water, the outlet added.
What is Cryptosporidium?
Cryptosporidiosis is caused by the parasite cryptosporidium, which can be present in water, food, soil, or on surfaces or dirty hands contaminated with faeces from infected humans or animals.
UK health officials indicate that such outbreaks can prolong diarrhoea and affect up to 6,000 people, according to the BBC.
South West Water (SWW) has apologized for the faulty valve that caused the outbreak in Devon. CEO Susan Davy told the BBC her company would “not stop working until the situation has been resolved.”
“Our ground technicians have been working tirelessly to identify the contamination source and rectify it so normal water supply can resume,” she said.
“To those in the affected area and our customers across the South West, I am truly sorry for the disruption and anxiety this has caused. While incidents like these are thankfully very rare, our customers expect a safe, clean, and reliable water source,” the CEO added.
SWW has advised customers to boil water before consumption.
Symptoms of Cryptosporidium?
Cryptosporidium, also known as crypto, is a microscopic parasite that can cause respiratory and gastrointestinal illness, primarily involving watery diarrhoea, sometimes with a persistent cough.
Symptoms of the disease include stomach pains, nausea or vomiting, low-grade fever, and loss of appetite. Most people develop symptoms within one to 12 days of contracting the parasite.
Symptoms typically last around two weeks but can persist longer if the immune system is compromised. In such cases, the parasite can cause severe illness and can be fatal.