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Cryptosporidium
caused by Cryptosporidium parvum
Another common water bourne bacteria is Cryptosporidium. In 1993; in Milwaukee, Wisconsin; 400,000 people became ill by being infected with cryptosporidium bacteria. They became infected by drinking infected water. This is a gastrointestinal disorder with the major symptons being extremely watery diarrhea, headache, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and low fever. This bacteria is resistant to chlorine so the infected water can not be treated by using this common method. Since there is no known cure, it usually takes a healthy persons body between two to three weeks to fight off this bacteria. In a person who may have a weakened immune system because of AIDS or some other disease, cryptosporidium may be deadly!
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