Cryptosporidium Infection
Public health officials and the whole medical fraternity play crucial roles in combatting epidemics. The coordinated efforts of such individuals ensure that the causes of infections are identified and corrective action is undertaken to prevent further contamination. Moreover, caregivers can accurately address diseases based on the identified contributing factors. The Watersedge community reported rampant cases of diarrhea and other symptoms, prompting a public health inquiry. Investigations revealed that the affected people had attended an event at the Thompson Lake Park, where they had consumed a fruit punch prepared with water from the fountain near the beach. Laboratory tests revealed that the water came from an underground well, which tested positive for Cryptosporidium parasite. The discovery followed the epidemiological process of patient interview mapping, sample collection, and microscopic analysis to determine the active contaminant. Therefore, such accomplishments reinforce the potential of teamwork in public health.
This project revolves around my tenure as an intern at the public health department in Watersedge, at a period when the community was facing a mini pandemic. Patients admitted to health centers manifested cases of severe diarrhea and other related symptoms. The epidemiologist had conducted patient interviews to trace their activities in the two days leading to their sickness.
The first step in the investigation entailed evaluating the patients’ feedback to identify potential similarities in areas visited or products consumed. Such an activity involved mapping each answer to uncover regions with a substantial number of past visits. Concept mapping is an essential aspect of research since explorers can group phenomena based on such attributes as frequency, location, and type among others (Conceição, Samuel, & Biniecki, 2017). The process indicated that all the patients had toured the Thompson Lake Park.
The next step involved visiting the Thompson Lake Park together with the environmental health specialist to gather notes on the general layout of the area, noting potential conduits of contaminants. Important clues included Park cleanup invitations, drinking water fountains, a sewerage outlet into the beach, and geese around the beach. I mapped more interviews from the patients addressing any recent swimming endeavors or snacks consumed at the park. The attempt revealed that most of the people drank fruit punch from the concessions stand, while a significate number also swam on the beach and ingested water from the fountains. Consequently, the concessions stand was selected as the primary sampling zone to find out the quality and source of water used to prepare beverages. Additionally, samples were collected from all other water supply points, the beach to determine potential algae infestation, dirty drain water, and the surrounding region to assess the likelihood of E. coli contamination from the geese. An interview with the concessions attendant confirmed that the fruit punch served during the cleaning event was prepared using water from the fountain near the beach. A further examination discovered that the fountain receives its supply from a specific underground well, separate from all other springs.
The third stage involved microscopic analysis of collected samples. I delivered the specimens to the laboratory for the microbiologist to study them and assess the presence of parasites. The public health information office also received news of excessive rainfall that was expected to cause floods due to runoff. Results from the laboratory indicated that water from the fountain near the beach was tainted with the cryptosporidium parasite. The microbe was responsible for the illnesses affecting the community. The primary mode of entry was through the water used to prepare fruit punch, which all patients attested to consuming. The source was the only contaminated point of all the sampled regions. The environmental health specialist conformed that the water filter in the fountain had raptured, leading to contamination. Moreover, a further probe uncovered that an oversight error was also responsible for the disease. While the city supplies all other water sources, pipes to the affected fountain were not replaced during the update relaying. In conclusion, the leading causes of the outbreak are a broken fountain filter, heavy precipitation causing floods, runoff from nearby farmlands, and contamination by cryptosporidium parasite.
The accomplishments of the Watersedge public health expedition were as a direct result of the collaboration between different players. Teams provide both resource and skill support, providing substantial potential for success, which could not be achieved by a single person (Mayo & Woolley, 2016). Markedly, the public health planner identified worrying trends in hospitals, sanctioning an investigation to unearth the problem. Equally, the environmental health specialist offered necessary support in collecting essential clues and samples of potential contaminants. The laboratorian assisted me with testing the specimens for impurities. At the same time, the public health information officer liaised with media to collect relevant information on experienced floods that could affect the wellbeing of the society. Cooperation from all these experts enabled an exchange of capacities to solve an identified health challenge.
The study involved researching a mini pandemic in Watersedge where patients were being admitted to hospital due to severe diarrhea. As an intern, I worked under the supervision of the public health epidemiologist, who tasked me with investigating the cause of the problem. Coordinated data collection and testing with other experts reveled that the victims consumed fruit punch prepared using water contaminated with cryptosporidium parasite from nearby cattle fields. Contributing factors were heavy rainfall and runoff floods.
References
Conceição, S. C., Samuel, A., & Biniecki, S. M. Y. (2017). Using concept mapping as a tool for conducting research: An analysis of three approaches. Cogent Social Sciences, 3(1). doi: 10.1080/23311886.2017.1404753
Mayo, A. T., & Woolley, A. W. (2016). Teamwork in health care: Maximizing collective intelligence via inclusive collaboration and open communication. AMA Journal of Ethics, 18(9), 933–940. doi: 10.1001/journalofethics.2016.18.9.stas2-1609