Oct 27, 2023 10:36 PM
https://arstechnica.com/health/2023/10/t...han-usual/
INTRO: The United Kingdom is experiencing a dramatic outbreak—unprecedented in scale and magnitude—of diarrheal illnesses from the intestinal parasite Cryptosporidium, aka Crypto.
According to a rapid communication published Thursday in the journal Eurosurveillance, UK health officials report that Crypto cases have exceeded the upper bounds of expected cases since mid-September, and an October peak saw cases roughly threefold above what is usual for this time of year. The outbreak is still ongoing.
So far, it's unclear what's driving the extraordinary burst in cases. The outbreak has splattered into almost every region of all four UK nations. "Given the scale and geographical spread of the [case] exceedance across regions and nations of the UK, a single local exposure is an unlikely cause," the authors, led by officials at the United Kingdom Health Security Agency in London, wrote in the rapid report.
The officials sent out a standardized questionnaire on possible exposures to those who tested positive for Crypto. The questionnaire asked about food, travel, contact with animals, and water exposure—the most common way Crypto is spread. So far, international travel and swimming (either in the UK or abroad) appear linked to the outbreak... (MORE - details)
INTRO: The United Kingdom is experiencing a dramatic outbreak—unprecedented in scale and magnitude—of diarrheal illnesses from the intestinal parasite Cryptosporidium, aka Crypto.
According to a rapid communication published Thursday in the journal Eurosurveillance, UK health officials report that Crypto cases have exceeded the upper bounds of expected cases since mid-September, and an October peak saw cases roughly threefold above what is usual for this time of year. The outbreak is still ongoing.
So far, it's unclear what's driving the extraordinary burst in cases. The outbreak has splattered into almost every region of all four UK nations. "Given the scale and geographical spread of the [case] exceedance across regions and nations of the UK, a single local exposure is an unlikely cause," the authors, led by officials at the United Kingdom Health Security Agency in London, wrote in the rapid report.
The officials sent out a standardized questionnaire on possible exposures to those who tested positive for Crypto. The questionnaire asked about food, travel, contact with animals, and water exposure—the most common way Crypto is spread. So far, international travel and swimming (either in the UK or abroad) appear linked to the outbreak... (MORE - details)