Value of Preventing Cryptosporidium Contamination, The
![handle is hein.journals/risk9 and id is 185 raw text is: The Value of Preventing
Cryptosporidium Contamination*
Patricia Kocagil, Nadia Demarteau, Ann Fisher &
James S. Shortle**
Introduction
Most of us believe that modern technology and scientific
knowledge provide safe drinking water from U.S. community water
supplies. Yet, from 1992 to 1994, 30 disease outbreaks were reported
for contaminated drinking water.1 Giardia lamblia (Giardia) or
Cryptosporidium parvum (Crypto) caused ten of the 25 outbreaks for
which an etiologic (responsible) agent was identified. Giardia is a well
known parasitic protozoan, found in drinking water around the world.
Crypto is another widespread parasitic protozoan found in drinking
water.2 Both lead to acute diarrhea. Crypto has a more complex life
cycle and is currently more difficult to remove. Cryptosporidiosis
(crypto), the disease associated with Crypto, is also more difficult to
cure. No medications are yet available for giardiasis.
Crypto was rarely reported before 1982. It was recognized most
frequently in immunocompromised individuals (e.g., people having
acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), chemotherapy patients,
people with congenital depressed immunity, recipients of organ
* This research was partially supported by a U.S. EPA grant to Johns Hopkins
University, subcontract to Pennsylvania State University; the NSF program on
Human Dimensions of Global Change; Penn State's Dept. of Agricultural Economics
and Rural Sociology; and the Belgian American Educational Foundation. What is
expressed here does not necessarily reflect the views of the funding sources.
** Dr. Kocagil is currently a post doctoral associate in the Agricultural Economics
and Rural Sociology Dept. at Penn State. She received her Ph.D. (Economics) from
City University of New York. Ms. Demarteau received her master's (Environmental
Pollution Control) from Penn State. Dr. Fisher is Senior Scientist in the Agricultural
Economics and Rural Sociology Dept; she received her Ph.D. (Economics) from the
University of Connecticut. Dr. Shortle is Professor in the same department and
received his Ph.D. (Economics) from Iowa State University.
1 Michael H. Kramer et al., Waterborne Disease: 1993 and 1994, 88(3) J. Am.
Water Works Ass'n 66 (1996).
2 Richard L. Guerrant, Cryptosporidiosis: An Emerging, Highly Infectious
Threat, 3(1) Emerging Infectious Disease 51 (1997).
9 Risk. Health, Safety & Environment 175 [Spring 1998]](ViewImageLocal?handle=hein.journals/risk9&div=19&collection=&method=preview&ext=.png&size=3)
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Value of Preventing Cryptosporidium Contamination, The
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