They should also wash and cook their vegetables.The US CDC notes the recommendation of many public health departments to soak contaminated surfaces for 20 minutes with a 3% hydrogen peroxide (99% kill rate) and then rinse them thoroughly, with the caveat that no disinfectant is guaranteed to be completely effective against Cryptosporidium. However, hydrogen peroxide is more effective than standard bleach solutions. Treatment
Symptomatic treatment primarily involves fluid rehydration, electrolyte replacement (sodium, potassium, bicarbonate, and glucose), and antimotility agents (e.g., loperamide). Supplemental zinc may improve symptoms, particularly in recurrent or persistent infections or in others at risk for zinc deficiency. Immunocompetent
Immunocompetent individuals with cryptosporidiosis typically experience a short (i.e., duration of less than 2 weeks) self-limiting course of diarrhea that may require symptomatic treatment and ends with spontaneous recovery; in some circumstances, antiparasitic medication may be required (e.g., recurrent, severe, or persistent symptoms); however reinfection frequently occurs.As of 2015, nitazoxanide is the only antiparasitic drug treatment with proven efficacy for cryptosporidiosis in immunocompetent individuals; however, it lacks efficacy in severely immunocompromised patients. Certain agents such as paromomycin and azithromycin are sometimes used as well, but they only have partial efficacy. Immunocompromised
In immunocompromised individuals, such as AIDS patients, cryptosporidiosis resolves slowly or not at all, and frequently causes a particularly severe and persistent form of watery diarrhea coupled with a greatly decreased ability to absorb key nutrients through the intestinal tract. As a result, infected individuals may experience severe dehydration, electrolyte imbalances, malnutrition, wasting, and potentially death.
The oocysts contains up to 4 sporozoites that are bow-shaped.As few as 2 to 10 oocysts can initiate an infection. The parasite is located in the brush border of the epithelial cells of the small intestine. They are mainly located in the jejunum. When the sporozoites attach the epithelial cells membrane envelops them. Thus, they are "intracellular but extracytoplasmic". The parasite can cause damage to the microvilli where it attaches. The infected human excretes the most oocysts during the first week. Oocysts can be excreted for weeks after the diarrhea subsides from infections by C. parvum or C. hominis; however, immunocompetent individuals with C. muris infections have been observed excreting oocysts for seven months.The immune system reduces the formation of Type 1 merozoites as well as the number of thin-walled oocysts. This helps prevent autoinfection. B cells do not help with the initial response or the fight to eliminate the parasite. Previous infection in immunocompetent individuals produces little resistance to future infection, however it may decrease the severity of disease and the number of oocysts excreted. Diagnosis
There are many diagnostic tests for Cryptosporidium. They include microscopy, staining, and detection of antibodies. Microscopy can help identify oocysts in fecal matter. To increase the chance of finding the oocysts, the diagnostician should inspect at least 3 stool samples. There are several techniques to concentrate either the stool sample or the oocysts. The modified formalin-ethyl acetate (FEA) concentration method concentrates the stool.