The UK is experiencing a dramatic and unprecedented outbreak of diarrheal diseases caused by intestinal parasites. Cryptosporidiumalso known as Crypto.
according to Rapid communication published in the journal Eurosurveillance on Thursday, UK health authorities have said that the number of people infected with cryptocurrencies has exceeded the expected number of infections since mid-September, and that at its peak in October the number of infections was more than three times the normal number for this time of year. It is reported that. The trend continues.
For now, it is unclear what is causing the unusual spike in infections. The outbreak has spread to almost every region in all four countries of the UK. “Given its size and geographical spread, [case] “Excesses are occurring across regions and the country in the UK, so it is unlikely that a single localized exposure was the cause,” the authors, led by officials from the UK Health and Safety Executive in London, wrote in a rapid report. I mentioned it in.
Authorities sent anyone who tested positive for cryptocurrencies a standardized questionnaire regarding possible exposure. The survey asked about the most common ways cryptocurrencies are spread, including through food, travel, contact with animals, and exposure to water. So far, international travel and swimming (in and outside the UK) appear to be linked to the outbreak.
Of the 463 survey respondents, 250 (54%) reported overseas travel. In a subsample of 215 people living in the UK, 45% reported traveling to mainland Spain or the Balearic Islands. Of the 353 respondents who answered the recent swimming question, 234 (66%) said they had been swimming. In an incomplete comparison of survey data from the same period last year, health officials suggested that relatively high exposure to swimming may have been behind this year’s notable outbreaks. However, for both swimming and international travel, we need more data on trends and general swimming and travel trends to make solid connections.
We don’t know what’s behind the alarming spike in incidents in the UK, but we do have an idea of how cryptocurrencies are spreading in general. Microscopic parasites infect the human intestines and cause watery diarrhea. After infection, tough, thick-walled parasites (oocysts) are excreted in the feces. Shedding of parasites begins with symptoms, but may continue for several weeks after the symptoms have disappeared. This parasite spreads further through the fecal-oral route, which disturbs the stomach. This can occur through various fecal contamination routes that ultimately lead to ingestion, including contaminated hands, surfaces, soil, food, and water.
The most common route of infection is recreational water. Cryptooocysts are highly resistant to chlorine. In properly chlorinated pool water, crypts can stay alive for more than a full week. Oocysts can enter a pool when an infected swimmer or a swimmer who has recently become ill swims. As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention frankly states, bacteria “can enter water in small amounts.” Poop washing off swimmer’s butt. ”
An infected person excretes tens of millions of follicles, but swallowing less than 10 can cause an explosive infection. Health authorities urge people with such diarrheal infections not to swim while they have diarrhea and to wait at least 14 days before swimming. Crypto infections are usually not life-threatening for previously healthy people, but they can be serious and even fatal for people with weakened immune systems. In healthy people, this infection is characterized by diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dehydration, weight loss, and fever. In the ongoing UK outbreak, more than half of survey respondents reported symptoms lasting more than 10 days.
