Raleigh News & Observer Logo

14 in Durham, Orange catch pool-borne parasite | Raleigh News & Observer

×
  • E-edition
    • Customer Service
    • Support
    • Contact Us
    • About Us
    • FAQ
    • Sponsorships
    • Stay connected
    • Mobile & Apps
    • Facebook
    • Google+
    • Instagram
    • Twitter
    • Social Media Directory
    • N&O Store
    • Buy Photos
    • Databases
    • Archives
    • Newsletters

    • Blogs
    • Columnists
    • Crime
    • Education
    • Health
    • Local
    • North Carolina
    • Nation/World
    • Science
    • Thumbs Up
    • Traffic
    • Weather
    • Weird News
    • All News
    • Counties
    • Durham County
    • Johnston County
    • Orange County
    • Wake County
    • All Sports
    • Baseball
    • Canes
    • College
    • Columns & Blogs
    • High Schools
    • NASCAR & Auto Racing
    • NBA
    • NFL
    • NHL
    • Olympics
    • Outdoors
    • Panthers
    • Soccer
    • Schools
    • Duke
    • East Carolina
    • NC State
    • North Carolina
    • All Politics
    • The North Carolina Influencer Series
    • State Politics
    • Blogs
    • Columnists
    • PolitiFact
    • PolitiFact NC
    • Rob Christensen
    • Under the Dome
    • All Business
    • Blogs
    • Columnists
    • Health Care
    • Personal Finance
    • Real Estate
    • Shop Talk
    • Stocks Center
    • Technology
    • All Living
    • Video Now
    • Best-Kept Secrets
    • Blogs
    • Celebrations
    • Comics
    • Family
    • Fashion
    • Fitness
    • Food
    • Games and Puzzles
    • Home and Garden
    • Horoscopes
    • Mouthful
    • Past Times
    • Pets
    • Religion
    • Travel
    • Video Now
    • Arts News
    • ArtsNow
    • Books
    • Contests
    • Dining
    • Entertainment
    • Games
    • Movies
    • Music
    • Nightlife
    • Television
    • On the Beat
    • Happiness is a Warm TV
    • All Opinion
    • Columnists
    • Dwane Powell
    • Editorials
    • Influencers Opinion
    • Letters
    • Opinion Shop Blog
    • Other Views
    • Submit a Letter
  • Obituaries

    • Advertise with us
    • Place Ad
    • Apartments
    • Cars
    • Homes
    • Jobs
    • Legals
    • Obits/In Memoriams
    • Weddings
    • Today's Daily Deal
    • Special Sections
    • Today's Circulars
    • Rewards
    • Photo Store
  • Classifieds
  • Jobs
  • Moonlighting
  • Cars
  • Homes
  • Legals

Chapel Hill News

14 in Durham, Orange catch pool-borne parasite

By Tammy Grubb - tgrubb@newsobserver.com

    ORDER REPRINT →

December 22, 2013 12:00 AM

Health officials say a pool-borne parasite has now sickened at least 14 people in Orange and Durham counties since early December.

The additional cases of Cryptosporidiosis, or Crypto, are not surprising, Orange County Health Department spokeswoman Stacy Shelp said. The first case was reported Dec. 6, and the illness has an incubation period of roughly two weeks.

Health officials in the two counties have been working with pool managers to hyperchlorinate the water since that first case was reported , Shelp said. They’ve also been in touch with local swim teams and parents to let them know about the illness and how to prevent an infection, she said.

Wake County also is reporting Cryptosporidiosis cases, she said.

Sign Up and Save

Get six months of free digital access to The News & Observer

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

#ReadLocal

The illness is caused by a parasite typically transmitted through contaminated food and water. It is found in fecal matter and can survive for a number of days in swimming pools, even with proper chlorination, Orange County Health Director Colleen Bridger said.

Symptoms can include watery diarrhea, stomach pain, cramps and a low fever. In some cases, patients develop nausea, vomiting and dehydration. The elderly, young children, pregnant women and those with weakened immune systems are most at risk of developing a serious illness.

The key to resolving the problem is keeping infected swimmers out of the pool for two weeks after their diarrhea ends, she has said. Pools could be closed if the parasite continues to spread, but health officials expect the number to start falling, Shelp said.

There’s no way to know which pools have spread the illness, she said.

The outbreak has been particularly tough on area swim teams.

East Chapel Hill High School swim coach Lyn Smith said this is a key training time ahead of conference and regional meets in January and February and senior sectionals in March.

Many on her team decided not to show up last week for the meet against Riverside High School, she said.

“A lot of parents are being cautious and not letting their kids swim,” she said.

Smith said she decided to do the same thing, pulling her daughter from the pool – and a swim meet in Greensboro – for 14 days to be careful. She is urging her swimmers who show up to practice or compete to shower before jumping in the pool, she said.

Cryptosporidiosis is not just affecting the Triangle, but many states, including Maryland, Texas and Tennessee, Smith said. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control reports several thousand cases a year nationwide, most during the summer pool season.

  Comments  

Videos

CNN's Brooke Baldwin gets graduation speech advice from Charles Barkley

Mexican immigrant tells her story at NAACP rally in Chapel HIll

View More Video

Trending Stories

‘An angry customer shot me.’ 911 calls reveal panic at Walgreens in Garner.

February 14, 2019 10:38 AM

NC State basketball player Eric Lockett charged with assaulting a woman

February 14, 2019 06:34 AM

What’s with NC State’s basketball roster? Update on 3 players who missed Syracuse game.

February 14, 2019 10:45 AM

Wake County commissioner accuses board member of lying, taking credit for park plan

February 14, 2019 12:40 PM

UNC will have two players out against Wake Forest, possibly three, depending on Nassir Little

February 15, 2019 03:40 PM

Read Next

Southern Season’s former executives not guilty of fraud, a federal judge rules

Business

Southern Season’s former executives not guilty of fraud, a federal judge rules

By John Murawski

    ORDER REPRINT →

August 08, 2018 02:00 PM

Southern Season executives Clay Hamner and Brian Fauver were sued for fraud by GGC Associates, the Virginia landlord for Southern Season’s ill-fated Richmond store. A federal judge found that the two executives did nothing illegal.

KEEP READING

Sign Up and Save

#ReadLocal

Get six months of free digital access to The News & Observer

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

MORE CHAPEL HILL NEWS

Allen H. Barton

Chapel Hill: Obituaries

Allen H. Barton

January 02, 2018 02:01 AM
In Memory of
Charles Warren Millard, III

Chapel Hill: Obituaries

In Memory of Charles Warren Millard, III

December 26, 2017 02:01 AM
Joyce Marie Harper

Chapel Hill: Obituaries

Joyce Marie Harper

December 26, 2017 02:01 AM

Chapel Hill: Obituaries

Dr. Kemp Jones

December 16, 2017 07:00 PM
Mary Kathryn Bragg Curry

Chapel Hill: Obituaries

Mary Kathryn Bragg Curry

December 12, 2017 02:02 AM
Dr. Adrian Smith Lineberger

Chapel Hill: Obituaries

Dr. Adrian Smith Lineberger

December 08, 2017 02:02 AM
Take Us With You

Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand.

Icon for mobile apps

Raleigh News & Observer App

View Newsletters

Subscriptions
  • Start a Subscription
  • Customer Service
  • eEdition
  • Vacation Hold
  • Pay Your Bill
  • Rewards
Learn More
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletters
  • News in Education
  • Triangletoday.com
  • Legal Notices
Advertising
  • Advertise With Us
  • About Our Ads
  • Place a Classified
  • Local Deals
  • N&O Store
  • N&O Photos
Copyright
Commenting Policy
Report News
Privacy Policy
Terms of Use


Back to Story