Those who are infected may shed oocysts in their stools for months, even after they no longer appear to be ill. Cryptosporidiosis may cause complications for those with illnesses or conditions such as diabetes, alcoholism, or pregnancy. The effects of prolonged diarrhea and dehydration can be dangerous, especially for the very young, the elderly, and the frail. This disease can be life-threatening for the immunocompromised. Cryptosporidiosis cannot be diagnosed by symptoms alone.
Watery diarrhea is a symptom of many intestinal diseases caused by bacteria, viruses, or parasites.
There is currently no drug that can cure cryptosporidiosis, People with competent immune systems will recover on their own and appear to develop some immunity to subsequent infections. Antidiarrheal medicines may ease some of the symptoms. Anyone with diarrhea should drink plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration. You can get infected with Cryptosporidium when you put anything in your mouth that has been in contact with feces from an infected animal or person. When large numbers of people get cryptosporidiosis, the source of infection can sometimes be tracked down, but it is impossible to determine the origin of many individual cases of this disease.