GENEVA, N.Y., Aug. 20 (UPI) -- A water park in upstate New York has been closed for the summer after a parasite found in water tanks caused diarrheal disease in nearly 1,800 people.
State and private laboratories have confirmed 13 cases of cryptosporidiosis, a disease caused by a parasite able to resist many disinfectants, The Washington Post reports.
The 1,800 people, all from 20 counties in New York, had visited the Sprayground at Seneca Lake State Park this year and have reported symptoms, which go beyond diarrhea to include dehydration, stomach cramps, weight loss, fever, nausea and vomiting.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta says symptoms begin within days and last for two weeks.
No other states have reported cases of the disease right now.
In 1993, the Milwaukee-area was hit hard after bad treatment for Lake Michigan water caused 403,000 to get sick.
