Western Australia experiencing surging cases of cryptosporidiosis caused by parasitic stomach bug linked to Bali
Authorities have confirmed the link between rising rates of a parasitic stomach bug and overseas travel, with one tourist hotspot named as a common culprit.
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The WA Health Department has confirmed a startling link between rising rates of a parasitic stomach bug and overseas travel, with the majority of new cases in Western Australia traced to Indonesia.
The disease has been identified as cryptosporidiosis, which is caused by a tiny parasite that enters the human body and leads to symptoms including nausea, stomach pain, diarrhoea, and loss of appetite.
The affliction can often last up to two weeks.
WA Health Department data reveals that 20 per cent of the state’s cryptosporidiosis cases were contracted overseas, with Indonesia being the most commonly reported destination.
“Cryptosporidiosis is really common overseas and you can get it from food and water when you travel. Those individuals when they return can transmit to others in their household or other settings,” Dr Paul Effler, acting director of the Communicable Disease Control Directorate at the Department of Health, explained to The West Australian.
Cases of cryptosporidiosis in WA have surged by a whopping 300 per cent in recent years, from 800 cases in 2023 to 3,200 in 2024.
As of this year, 74 new cases have been reported.
Dr Effler says that nearly half of the new cases were in children, with another significant portion affecting those in the 30 to 39-year-old age group.
However, Dr Effler cautioned that the actual number of cases in the community is likely higher than the reported figures.
“Many people will be asymptomatic and they’ll never get tested, and then there will be people with such mild illness that they won’t get tested either,” he said.
He added that the increase in cases might be related to a return to pre-pandemic levels of activities, such as swimming in public pools.
Cryptosporidiosis is resistant to chlorine and could potentially be transmitted by pool-goers.
While the state’s health department acknowledged the low risk of infection from swimming pools, it urged the public to take preventive measures to limit the spread of the infection.
Locals have been reminded to wash their hands regularly, supervising children to ensure they wash their hands properly, washing and peeling raw vegetables and fruit, avoiding untreated water, and avoiding unnecessary contact with farm animals, particularly young calves and lambs.
The outbreak hasn’t been limited to just Western Australia.
Cryptosporidiosis cases surged nationally in 2024, with 14,001 cases reported, a 276 per cent increase from 2023’s 3,717.
Nearly half of these cases were in children under nine years old.
Originally published as Western Australia experiencing surging cases of cryptosporidiosis caused by parasitic stomach bug linked to Bali
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