Last year, approximately 150 people in North Dakota got sick from Cryptosporidium, a chlorine-resistant parasite, and across the country the numbers are on the rise, reports Valley News Live.
Here are four things to know:
1. Cryptosporidium is a parasite that can cause diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps.
2. A CDC report said outbreaks are mostly a result of contaminated water, transmitted through fecal matter that finds its way into water supplies.
3. Infection rates skyrocketed in North Dakota in 2014 during August and September, as people use pools, lakes and streams, and the parasite becomes more infectious as water temperature warms, according to the report.
4. Prevention methods against the parasite include showering before and after swimming pools and lakes.
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