Is Cryptosporidium in drinking water a new problem?
A. Cryptosporidium has probably been in our water for many years. We have become aware of the problem much more in recent years because of the rapid growth in the number of people who are immunosuppressed and who are vulnerable to severe disease. In addition, only in the past few years have tests been developed to detect Cryptosporidium in water. On the other hand, the numbers of oocysts in the water may have increased in some communities because of increased contamination of the source water going into the water treatment plants by human sewage and animal feces.
