Cryptosporidium coccidi or C. parvum is a Protisit organism that causes a parasitic inflammatory gastroenteritis called Cryptosporidiosis. C. parvum is classified in the class of protozoa known as Apicomplexa. The normal habitat of this organism is in aquatic environments as well as moist soils. The route of transmission of C. parvum is via the fecal-oral route. It can be transmitted from human to human or from animal to human. This organism is usually transmitted through contaminated water sources; which include recreational water sources like swimming pools, water parks, lakes, ponds, etc. Another common source of C. parvum transmission is physical contact with Cryptosporidium oocysts, a common place for this to occur in daycares. You can contract this organism by swallowing something that has come into contact with infected stool or by eating undercooked contaminated food. You can also become infected with C. parvum by touching your mouth with contaminated hands. 1Cryptosporidiosis is a disease condition caused by the microorganism C. parvum, which lives in the intestines of infected humans or animals. Signs and symptoms of cryptosporidiosis include watery diarrhea, dehydration, vomiting, nausea, abdominal cramps, fever, and malaise. Symptoms usually last one to two weeks. In people with a normal immune system and infected with C. parvum, an acute form of cryptosporidiosis develops; they have limited diarrhea with infectious eggs that lasts one to two weeks. In immunocompromised individuals infected with C. parvum, they develop cholera-like diarrhea, which can lead to dehydration, emaciation, and even death. The diagnosis of cryptosporidiosis is based on the collection and examination of stool samples from the patient. T...... middle of paper ......ped. If you are at a recreational water site and have a young child, take them for frequent bathroom breaks, supervise their diapers, and do not change their diapers near the edge of the pool. Also minimize contact with animals and their feces and if you come into contact with animal feces and their living space, wear gloves and be sure to wash your hands. If you are immunocompromised, do not handle animal feces or come into contact with a person or animal with cryptosporidosis, as this could be life-threatening. Works Cited Cryptosporidiosis - Page 1." Microsoft Internet Information Server. Web. July 7, 2010. . 2.) Pommerville, Jeffrey C. and Jeffrey C. Pommerville, Fundamentals of Microbiology from Alcamo, Mass.: Jones and Bartlett, 2010 Printed..