Cryptosporidiosis Associated with Wildlife Center, Scotland

tribution of repetitive DNA sequences in eubacteria and application to fi ngerprint-ing of bacterial genomes. 6. European Food Safety Authority. Guidance on safety assessment of botanicals and botanical preparations intended for use as ingredients in food supplements.plication of high hydrostatic pressure to eliminate Escherichia coli O157:H7 on alfalfa sprouted seeds. chlorine and calcinated calcium treatment of alfalfa seeds and sprouts to eliminate Salmonella. Use of bacteriophages as biocontrol agents to control Salmonella associated with seed sprouts. To the Editor: Handwashing is the single most important prevention step in reducing transmission of gastrointestinal zoonoses (1). Nevertheless , Health Protection Scotland receives reports of 500 to 700 laboratory -confi rmed cases of cryptospo-ridiosis each year. Cryptosporidiosis symptoms include profuse, watery diarrhea , often accompanied by bloating , abdominal pain, and nausea. On April 15, 2005, National Health Service Tayside District's public health department called a meeting of the incident control team after a single index case of cryptosporidiosis in Scotland. One reported case rarely results in such measures; however, initial investigations determined that this case-patient may have acquired infection by contact with scouring (diarrhea) lambs at a wildlife center, during the Easter break (March 27– April 10, 2005). Subsequent public health actions included active surveillance of recent Cryptosporidium spp. laboratory reports, active case fi nding, the microbiologic analysis of feces/rectal swabs from lambs and bedding samples, and an assessment of the wildlife center's private water supply. Control measures included the removal of lambs from the center, disinfection of the premises with hy-pochlorite, and stopping direct contact between animals and visitors. In total, 128 microbiologically confi rmed cases were reported to the incident control team. An additional 252 clinical cases were reported among wildlife center visitors for whom no stool sample was taken. The illnesses of these persons had a similar implied incubation period (typically 6–7 days) and their age profi les were the same as patients with laboratory-confi rmed cases. Of 128 patients with confi rmed cases, 117 visited the wildlife center, and infections of the remainder were attributed to secondary spread. Most case-patients were Tayside residents and were generally resident in towns and villages near the wildlife center. Of the 128 human isolates, 103 were identifi ed as Cryptosporidium par-vum. Oocysts from the environmental samples (lamb pen drain and central drain debris) were also identifi ed as C. parvum. Isolates could not be obtained from lambs because the lambs had died …