The Cape May County Health Department on Friday reported 4 confirmed instances of cryptosporidium and 11 possible instances of the intestinal sickness within the county.
Cryptosporidium, often known as crypto, is attributable to a parasite and could be unfold in varied methods, together with ingesting water, consuming contaminated meals or when an individual touches their mouth with contaminated arms, based on an announcement from Cape Might County officers.
The sickness is completely different from a abdomen flu, which is a viral an infection.
The primary case was reported to the Atlantic County Well being Division on March 23, officers mentioned on Friday. Atlantic County well being officers reported the case to Cape Might County and recognized Misty Meadows Farm in Cape Might County as a “doable supply of the an infection,” based on the assertion.
Cape Might County additionally reported its first case the identical day.
“Each the Atlantic County case and Cape Might County instances recognized Misty Meadow Farm as a standard location visited inside the an infection interval. A part of the investigation is to determine doable sources of an infection. The optimistic instances all recognized Misty Meadows Farms as a spot visited inside the an infection interval, and it’s the solely location that every one optimistic instances had in widespread,” Cape Might County well being officers mentioned in an announcement.
“Following this discovering, Misty Meadows Farm eagerly carried out all mitigation procedures requested by the Cape Might County Division of Well being, together with putting in hand-washing stations, putting in signage, and offering customer schooling,” the assertion added. “In consequence, the Division of Well being decided that no additional motion was vital, and by no means discovered a necessity to shut Misty Meadows Farm.”
“The county is glad that with friends training protected hygiene, Misty Meadows Farm is a protected place for the general public to go to,” Cape Might County officers mentioned.
Well being officers didn’t launch extra particulars concerning the infections. A consultant from the farm couldn’t be instantly reached to remark late Friday.
Signs of cryptosporidiosis embody watery diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, which typically happen inside two to 10 days of an infection, based on the U.S. Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention. Extra particulars concerning the illness are available on the CDC and New Jersey Department of Health web site.
Thanks for counting on us to supply the native information you possibly can belief. Please think about supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription.
Noah Cohen could also be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com.