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Cryptosporidium is a microscopic organism found in most untreated
surface water. Cryptosporidiosis, the illness associated with this
pathogen, may cause severe diarrhea, which poses a serious health
risk to individuals with severely suppressed immune systems.
Laboratory staff test for Cryptosporidium in both
untreated and treated water. Although it is occasionally found in
the untreated water, technicians take all available measures to
remove it during the treatment process.
One of the most effective safeguards against Cryptosporidium
is ozonation,
a water treatment process that uses ozone to eliminate biological
organisms. The Southern Nevada Water Authority's Alfred
Merritt Smith Water Treatment Facility and the River
Mountains Water Treatment Facility incorporated ozonation into
their treatment processes in 2003.
How to prevent cryptosporidiosis:
- Avoid water or food that may be contaminated
- Wash hands after using the toilet and before handling food
- Wash hands after changing diapers
For more information, see the EPA's Cryptosporidium
for immunocompromised individuals.
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