County Informs Public of 6 Cases of Intestinal Disease; Limited Outbreak Not Considered Public Health Threat

As a point of information, the Oneida County Department of Health has announced that there have been six confirmed cases of Cryptosporidium. The Oneida County Health Department is currently investigating the origin of the outbreak. Officials are looking into the possibility of the outbreak stemming from the recent Farmfest event, but caution that no direct causal link has yet been determined.

Oneida County has advised school nurses and the administrations of all school districts who attended the event of the reported cases. There are letters going out to parents in the two schools districts that have reported cases of the disease among their students. School nurses are on alert for symptoms and will report to the Oneida County Health Department if any are observed.

Cryptosporidium is a microscopic parasite that causes the intestinal illness. It is usually a self limiting illness with watery diarrhea as the most common symptom. Average incubation is one to 12 days. If symptoms are present, the Health Department recommends treatment of the symptoms, and if the symptoms become severe, your personal physician should be contacted.

Oneida County officials have been in contact and consultation with the New York State Department of Health and have jointly concluded that at this time there is no ongoing public health threat.