Food & Waterborne Illness
Food- and water-borne illnesses may be caused by toxins created by growing bacteria; toxins produced by the harmful algal species; or contamination of food and/or water with certain bacteria, viruses or parasites. Many cases of food poisoning happen when someone eats food that has harmful bacteria in it. The bacteria or the toxins produced by them can then make the person sick. Bacteria also can get into the water supply and make someone sick.
Common Food & Waterborne Illnesses
Cryptosporidium parvum (C. parvum)
Cyclosporiasis
Escherichia coli O157:H7 (E. coli)
Salmonella species
Shigella dysenteriae
Vibrio cholerae
Cryptosporidium Parvum (C. Parvum)
Cryptospororidosis, commonly called “Crypto” is a disease that causes watery diarrhea. It is caused by a parasite called Cryptosporidium which can live in water, food, soil, or on surfaces that have been contaminated with infected poop.
Someone with Crypto will shed the parasite in their stool while experiencing symptoms and for up to 2 weeks after they resolve.
To help prevent the spread of illness, it is important to practice proper hand hygiene and refrain from swimming or any recreational water activities during this time to prevent further spread of illness. When cleaning items and surfaces, no disinfectant is guaranteed to be completely effective against Crypto.
However, hydrogen peroxide is more effective than standard bleach solutions. Crypto is extremely resistant to standard chlorine. If a recreational water source such as pools or splash pads becomes contaminated with Crypto, they would require hyper-chlorination or other special treatment.
Contact your healthcare provider if you suspect that you have Crypto. Most people with healthy immune systems will recover from Crypto without treatment.
Cyclosporiasis
Cyclosporiasis is a food-borne illness caused by a parasite called Cyclospora.
The Cyclospora parasite is generally transmitted when infected feces contaminates food or water. It is unlikely to be transmitted from person to person.
Cyclospora is believed to only infect humans and spread through human fecal matter.
The time between becoming infected and becoming sick can range from 2-14 days or more.
Cyclosporiasis is an intestinal illness that affects the small intestine and usually causes watery diarrhea, with frequent bowel movements. But other symptoms can also be common, such as stomach cramps/pain, bloating, nausea, fatigue, loss of appetite and increased gas. In addition, people have experiences vomiting, body aches, headache, low-grade fever, and other flu-like symptoms with cyclosporiasis.
Individuals with a weakened immune system may experience more severe symptoms. Your healthcare provider can provide the correct antibiotics to treat the cyclosporiasis infection. It is important to seek care promptly.
Cyclospora Fact Sheet - Kentucky Dept for Public Health
July 2026 - Multistate Outbreak of Cyclospora - FDA