Cases Of Crypto On The Decline

None by Eric Ray

State Health Departments Modify Swimming Restrictions

(KCPW News) State health officials today modified swimming restrictions placed on public pools because they've seen a reduction in new cases of the water-borne illness Cryptosporidiosis. Now only those wearing diapers are banned from pools governed by local health departments.

State Epidemiologist Robert Rolfs says there were 40 to 50 new cases of Crypto recorded each day at the peak of this summer's outbreak in mid-August. Those cases have now been reduced to five or 10 per day. Rolfs says health departments will continue to monitor the illness while looking for ways to avoid a similar outbreak in future years.

Crypto is caused by fecal-to-oral contact and is spread mostly through water. Prior restrictions banned children under the age of five from swimming in public pools. Over the last seven years, Utah has averaged just 30 cases of Crypto each year. This year there have been more than 1,700 reported cases of the illness.

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