EVALUATION OF RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN PRIVATE WELL WATER, GEOLOGIC SENSITIVITY, CATTLE DENSITY, AND CRYPTOSPORIDIUM PARVUM INFECTION IN MINNESOTA, 2000-2008

摘要

Cryptosporidiosis is an acute diarrheal illness caused by the protozoan Cryptosporidium. Cattle are the primary reservoir for C. parvum, and Minnesota has the 12th largest cattle population in the U.S. Well water consumption is a documented risk factor for cryptosporidiosis, and 1.2 million Minnesotans drink private well water. Areas of Minnesota are geologically sensitive to groundwater contamination; thus, C. parvum from cattle could infiltrate the water supply. We evaluated the relationship between private well water, geologic sensitivity, cattle density, and human illness caused by C. parvum.