Learn how to protect your food during an outbreak.
Cryptosporidium is a parasite which can causes an illness called cryptosporidiosis. This usually presents as gastroenteritis, especially in young children and in people with a weak immune system.
You can get cryptosporidiosis from swimming in or drinking contaminated water. Occasionally you can be infected by eating contaminated food, including unwashed or unpeeled vegetables or salads or drinking contaminated raw milk. We advise consumers to follow advice provided by the water companies and/or local authorities.
The quality of tap water is the responsibility of your local water company. If a water supply becomes contaminated with organisms harmful to public health, the water company or local authority may advise you to boil your water before drinking it or using it to brush your teeth.
When this happens, there are steps you should take to store and prepare food safely:
We would advise consumers to take care to prevent contaminating their food with water and to use preboiled and cooled water to wash any fruit and vegetables, if they are to be eaten raw, use preboiled and cooled water to make ice.