Laboratory #6: Cryptosporidium Outbreak
Today we will read a case study of an outbreak of Cryptosporidium parvum that occurred in Wisconsin in 1993. After reading the paper you need to discuss the following questions with your neighbors and complete this lab handout.
- What specific events led the Milwaukee Department of Health to suspect there was a widespread health problem in Milwaukee?
- Summarize the methods that were used in this study. Be specific.
- What is the difference between laboratory-confirmed Cryptosporidium infection and clinical confirmed infections?
- What specific information was obtained from the people interviewed by telephone?
- What other disease-causing agents, besides Cryptosporidium, were identified in stool samples?
- What other clinical characteristics, besides diarrhea, were associated with cryptosporidiosis? (Hint, look in Table I)
- Which people were most likely to experience severe effects of cryptosporidiosis? In other words, who was especially vulnerable to infection?
- What was the mean number of watery stools passed by individuals with clinically-determined Cryptosporidiosis each day? See Table 1.
- How did the authors of this study estimate magnitude of outbreaks (total number of cases)? What was the estimated magnitude? Show the numbers and the parts of the calculation.
- Why did it take so long for the community in Milwaukee to recognize Cryptosporidium infection as the cause of the outbreak?
- What went wrong at the southern Milwaukee Water Works plant?
- What may have been the source of this Cryptosporidium outbreak?
