CRYPTOSPORIDIOSIS SURVEILLANCE 1990-1991 REPORT TO THE WATER RESEARCH CENTRE
Report No DWI0341

Sept 1991

ABSTRACT

This report presents the results of the epidemiological component of the "surveys of occurrence" of cryptosporidiosis, a programme of research proposed by the Badenoch Committee.

Seven Health Districts, with water supplied from five different sources, took part in the study. In total, 191 cases of cryptosporidiosis were followed up with a standard surveillance form.

Person to person spread accounted for over a quarter of the cases, and one fifth of cases gave a history of animal contact. Other potential risk exposures, including drinking unpasteurised milk, travel, beach visits and eating raw meat, but the distribution of these exposures was not consistent throughout the different areas.

Three clusters of cryptosporidiosis were investigated during the study period. An association with water was not demonstrated in any of them.

Hand washing and general hygiene measures will reduce the spread of the infection. Further research to quantify the role of different risk exposures is recommended.

Copies of this report may be available as an Acrobat pdf download under the 'Find Completed Research' heading on the DWI website.