Monsters Inside Me
Cryptosporidiosis, aka Crypto
Caused by the Cryptosporidium hominis parasite.
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The Parasite: Cryptosporidiosis is caused by the Cryptosporidium parasite, and both the disease and parasite are commonly referred to as "crypto." The crypto parasite is found in every region of the United States and throughout the world. Its life cycle begins when it is expelled through the feces of its current host. In this "spore" or "oocyst" phase the parasite can survive for long periods of time — up to several months — outside of a host, thanks to its thick outer shell or "cyst." This shell also makes the parasite highly resistant to chlorine, which is frequently used to purify water.
The parasite generally makes its way to the next unsuspecting victim via drinking or recreational water that has been contaminated with human or animal feces. Once ingested (or occasionally inhaled) by a new host, the crytpo parasite excysts (or sheds its shell) in the small intestine and proceeds to reproduce asexually. This leads to two types of crypto parasites in the oocyst state: thin-walled parasites that will remain in the host's body and restart the infection process and thick-walled oocysts that will be excreted and go on to infect a new host.
The Infection: Symptoms of cryptosporidiosis generally appear within an average of 7 days after becoming infected with the parasite. The most common symptom is watery and persistent diarrhea, but others include: stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, fever, weight loss and dehydration. These symptoms will generally last 1-2 weeks (up to 4 weeks) in individuals with healthy and normally functioning immune systems. People with weakened immune systems are not able to combat the infection as easily and sometimes develop serious, chronic and even fatal symptoms.
Treatment: People with healthy immune systems will usually recover without treatment. Doctors will sometimes prescribe anti-diarrhea pills, and infected individuals can manage the diarrhea by drinking lots of fluids to prevent dehydration. Young children and pregnant women need to be especially careful to stay hydrated. People with weakened immune systems — such as people with AIDS or other diseases that affect the immune system — are at higher risk for severe symptoms and will likely need to contact their health care provider and perhaps undergo anti-retroviral therapy. However, the symptoms of crypto can prove fatal, as was the case in a 1993 outbreak of crytpo in Milwaukee. This incident sickened more than 400,000 residents and led to dozens of deaths in the city's HIV-AIDS community.
Prevention: The best way to prevent crypto is by washing hands frequently and practicing good hygiene. Obviously, it is best to avoid drinking or recreational water (community pools or water parks) that might be contaminated. For extra precautions, drinking water that might be contaminated can be boiled or filtered. Individuals should also avoid handling any kind of animal feces, as they could be contaminated.
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Featured in Outbreak!, Episode 2 of MONSTERS INSIDE ME
These parasites work on a grand scale, infecting and killing in mass numbers. Highlighting angiostrongyliasis, caused by rat lungworm; cryptosporidiosis, caused by Cryptosporidium hominis; and cutaneous leishmaniasis.
 See how a Cryptosporidium outbreak can happen.
Check out the Cryptosporidium parasite in action.
 Download a wallpaper-sized Cryptosporidium picture.
Visit the Monsters Inside Me video gallery.
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  Livin' La Vida Parasita! Find out how parasites affect our mind, our health and our lives in this series of articles from HowStuffWorks.com.
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 Rate Disgusting Parasite Habits: From blood-sucking to brain-eating, rate revolting parasite habits on a scale from "gross" (0) to "I think I'm going to vomit" (10).
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