BRITAIN is facing an “unprecedented” surge in cases of fatal diarrhoea, experts have warned.
Over 2,000 cryptosporidium infections been reported over the last few months, new figures suggest, which is much more than expected.
Over 2000 cases of crypto has been reported in the last few months
AlamyThe bug triggers chronic bouts of the runs and can strike down sufferers for up to three weeks[/caption]
There were 367 cases of the nasty bug during the week ending October 2. This is over triple the 106 predicted for this time of year.
“Given the scale and geographical spread of the [case] a single local exposure is an unlikely cause,” scientists reported in a recent paper in the journal Eurosurveillance.
The bug – nicknamed crypto – is a parasite that triggers “profuse” and “watery” bouts of the runs, which the NHS says can last for up to three week.
People with weakened immune systems may develop serious, chronic, and sometimes fatal illness.
This includes those with cancer, HIV or an organ transplant.
The majority of those infected this year are young children and their adult female family members, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said.
The reason for the rise in cases is unknown, but many infected people had travelled abroad, they added.
Some 54 per cent of those who contracted the bug reported having recently travelled internationally, data from the Eurosurveillance paper suggested.
Speaking to The Sun, an UKSHA spokesperson said the body was “investigating an increase in cryptosporidiosis cases in England”.
“There is no one clear driver of the cases but the majority of infections were associated with swimming pools – in this country or abroad – and travel to a variety of foreign destinations,” they added.
Ireland has also seen in surge in crypto cases from people coming back from holiday’s in certain areas of Spain, including Salou in Catalonia, in the past month.
So far, 656 infections have been reported in Ireland this year, compared to 510 in the same period in 2022, according to the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC).
It is expected the real number of cases is higher as holidaymakers would have passed it on to others who would have been diagnosed on the basis of symptoms rather than a test.
Between August and September, infection rates were widespread in Europe, which experts have put down to extreme weather in Mediterranean countries over the summer.
The parasite is most commonly spread through infected water.
It thrives in pools and water parks because it has a tough outer shell which makes it highly tolerant to chlorine.
It spreads when people swallow something that has come into contact with the faeces of a sick person, like water in a public swimming pool.
It takes just 10 crypto parasites to be struck down, and an infected person sheds 10 to 100 million in a single bowel movement.
In May, families visiting farms and petting zoos in the East of England were warned about a rise in cryptosporidium cases.
In 2015, more than 300,000 households in Lancashire were told to boil drinking water after tests revealed it contained traces of cryptosporidium.
The 7 ways to prevent cryptosporidiosis
Ways to reduce your risk of getting and spreading cryptosporidiosis include:
Avoid getting water in your mouth if you swim in lakes, rivers or public pools
Wash your hands often
Don’t drink untreated water or unpasteurised milk
Wash, peel or cook fruits and vegetables before eating.
If you’ve been around farm animals or at a petting zoo, wash your hands thoroughly before touching your face or eating
Teach children good hand washing hygiene at a young age
Make sure kids wash their hands after touching animals and going to the bathroom
Source: Cleveland Clinic