Causes

Cryptosporidium infection begins when the one-celled cryptosporidium parasites get into your body through your mouth. Some strains of cryptosporidium can cause more serious disease.

These parasites then travel to your intestinal tract, where they settle into the walls of your intestines. Eventually, more cells are produced and are shed in massive quantities into your feces, where they are highly contagious.

You can become infected with cryptosporidia by touching anything that has come in contact with contaminated feces. You can get infected by:

• Drinking contaminated water that contains cryptosporidium parasites
• Swimming in contaminated water that contains cryptosporidium parasites and accidentally swallowing some of it
• Eating uncooked, contaminated food that contains cryptosporidia
• Touching your hand to your mouth if your hand has been in contact with a contaminated surface, object, person or animal

If you have a compromised immune system from HIV/AIDS, you're more susceptible to illness from cryptosporidium parasites than is a person with a healthy immune system. People with HIV/AIDS can develop severe symptoms and a chronic, persistent form of disease that can be difficult to treat.

Hardy parasites

Cryptosporidium parasites are one of the more common causes of infectious diarrhea in humans. This parasite is difficult to to get rid of because it's resistant to many disinfectants and many filters don't remove it.

Cryptosporidia can survive for months at varying temperatures, though the parasite can be destroyed by boiling.