State health officials warn of parasitic infections tied to livestock

Michigan health officials are investigating a parasitic infection connected to livestock after several suspected cases were found in Livingston, Ingham and Oakland counties.

There have been one confirmed, four probable and seven suspected cases of cryptosporidiosis, a diarrheal disease caused by the Cryptosporidium parasite between Nov. 15 and 21. The health department believes the illnesses occurred after people came into contact with a group of sick calves.

Cryptosporidium, more commonly known as Crypto, can be found in the intestine of infected animals and people, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Crypto is released in stool and people can become infected after swallowing the parasite, the CDC says.

"If a person’s hands, drinking water, food or recreational water are contaminated with small amounts of infected stool from either livestock or people, they could swallow the parasite and become sick," the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said in a news release Thursday.

Crypto is most commonly spread through water which can become contaminated by sewage or stool from infected animals or people. It can also be spread by handling an infected calf, taking care of an infected person or eating uncooked contaminated food, according to the CDC.

"Infected calves and other livestock can spread it even if they don’t seem sick," the department of health said in a news release. "This parasite is not spread through properly cooked meat from animals or pasteurized milk or dairy products."

Symptoms of a Crypto infection are diarrhea, stomach pain, cramping, nausea, vomiting, dehydration, fever and weight loss. They can last up to several weeks and the health department encouraged sick individuals to seek care if the symptoms do not abate quickly. People with weak immune symptoms are more likely to experience life-threatening symptoms, the CDC says.

People handling livestock should wash their hands thoroughly afterward, disinfect items and surfaces that could have manure on them, avoid eating food in areas with manure and eating or drinking raw dairy products and have sick livestock evaluated by a veterinarian, the health department said.

They also encouraged healthcare providers to ask patients with diarrheal disease about animal exposures. Infected individuals should not cook for others for two weeks after their symptoms stop.

hmackay@detroitnews.com