Cleveland County Health Department officials confirmed Tuesday 17 cases of Cryptosporidiosis or "Crypto" were reported in Cleveland County during the month of August and released a list of precautions for avoiding the diarrheal disease.

"Crypto is common to see this time of year, in swimming pools, splash pads and day care centers," said Shari Kinney, administrator of the Cleveland and McClain County health departments. "As far as a specific place, we don't have enough evidence to say 'It (came from) here.'

"We want people to be careful wherever they swim, and tell your children not to drink the water," she said.

Cryptosporidium is a parasite that can cause long-lasting diarrhea. It is typically transmitted from fecal matter in recreational water, such as swimming pools or splash pads, and causes cryptosporidiosis. When someone who is infected with the parasite gets into the water, fecal matter from that person can get into the pool. Swimmers then swallow or get the infected water in their mouths in the pool, Kinney said.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, the diarrheal disease is most commonly spread by children in child care settings. The disease can be transmitted person to person through contact with contaminated objects, or swallowing contaminated food or water. The usual symptom of the disease is watery diarrhea, which may be accompanied by stomach ache, nausea and vomiting, fever and a general sick feeling.

Kinney said health department officials have mailed signs warning of the disease to pool operators in Norman. "Luckily, most pools are closed for the summer," she said.

Anytime a pool is found to be contaminated, health department officials "recommend they shock the pool," using a method of super-chlorination, Kinney said.

Normal levels of chlorine do not kill the parasite, she said. Though most pools are normally chlorinated at 3 to 5 parts per million, pools need to be "super-chlorinated" at up to 10 ppm monthly and "hyper-chlorinated" at up to 20 ppm to kill the parasites following a pool contamination.

The pool must then be closed for a time, as the level of chlorine is too high for people to swim in, Kinney said.

Norman Recreation Director Jud Foster said city employees, after learning of the Crypto outbreak, have performed numerous cleansing operations at the city's splash pad at Andrews Park.

"After we got the call, we went over and drained the tank and super-chlorinated everything as a precaution," he said.

Foster said city officials have delivered water samples to a certified lab in Oklahoma City for a "detailed analysis, to make sure there's nothing in the system."

"I feel very confident the water is clean and safe. We check it every day and the health department checks it regularly," Foster said.

Meanwhile, Kinney recommends people avoid using recreational facilities if they have diarrhea. "You can spread germs and make other people sick," she said.

Other recommendations include:

·?Don't swallow pool water. Avoid getting water in your mouth. Practice good hygiene. Shower with soap before swimming and wash hands after using the toilet or changing diapers and before eating or preparing food.

·?Take kids on bathroom breaks and check diapers often. Change diapers in a bathroom or a diaper-changing area and not at poolside. Germs can be spread to surfaces and objects in and around the pool, Kinney said.

·?Wash children thoroughly (especially their rear ends) with soap and water before swimming. Invisible amounts of fecal matter can end up in the pool, she said.

For more information, visit the CDC Link at: www.cdc.gov/crypto/epi.html.

Tom Blakey 366-3540 tblakey@normantranscript.com