Posted on 09/01/2006 10:22:17 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
SAN JOSE
At least seven children suffered diarrhea after playing in a popular downtown fountain, and city health officials worry the water may have infected many more.
The fountain at Plaza de Cesar Chavez Park has not flowed since late last week, when tests confirmed the presence of the microscopic parasite that causes cryptosporidiosis, a diarrhea-inducing virus.
The health department continued investigating Thursday whether 13 more cases of cryptosporidiosis and 15 cases of salmonella in children since mid-July were linked to the tainted fountain.
One child was hospitalized but has since recovered, said Dr. Marty Fenstersheib, the county's public health officer.
At least 11 of 15 recent cases of salmonella, which also causes diarrhea, nausea and cramps, stemmed from a common source, but officials still don't know if the downtown fountain is the culprit, Fenstersheib said.
Both illnesses can be spread by accidentally swallowing water that has come into contact with the feces of an infected person or pet.
The fountain's filtration and sanitation systems, which included the use of chemicals like chlorine, have proven ineffective at blocking parasites and bacteria in the recycled fountain water, city officials said.
homosexual hangout infecting the water supply ?
Either that or illegals bringing in some medieval disease long eradicated in the first world.
It's not a virus. It's a protozoan. Check your facts AP!
Is Montezuma now an illegal alien?
hmmmm bad article.... Cryptosporidium is a genus of protozoan, not a virus
It is not a long since eradicated disease; it's what infected ~400,000 people in the Milwaukee area in 1993.
It's also a tough bastard to filter, because it froms cysts that resist chemical filtration systems and can still slip about 1% of itself past conventional filtration systems
looks like San Jose has some filtration upgrades to make
Milwaukee learned its water lesson, but many other cities haven't
Recycled water? From.... what?
Just causing the diseases that American protozoas won't......
Its hardly been eliminated in the first world.
As recently as 1993, 450,000 people in Milwaukee got sick with cryptosporidium.
Good possibility. If you have a severely weakened immune system, you are at risk for more serious disease. Your symptoms may be more severe and could lead to serious or life-threatening illness. Examples of persons with weakened immune systems include those with HIV/AIDS, the petri dishes of incubation and antibiotic-resistant TB strains.
`Three squirts . . . in the fountain'
More likely kids with dirty diapers playing in the water, along with people who do not regularly wash their dirty rear ends.
 |
  |
 |
|
| Send FReepmail if you want on/off SVP list | |
| Silicon Valley Slang | |
| The List of Ping Lists | |
The fountains are too close to a steaming pile.
Oh, so you mean it's NOT a public bidet?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.