Cryptosporidiosis

Reportable by Laboratories and Providers

About this Reportable Disease

Infectious agent: Cryptosporidium species (Cryptosporidium hominis, Cryptosporidium parvum, and others)

Description of illness: Cryptosporidiosis is caused by the protozoan parasite Cryptosporidium. Infection causes acute, watery diarrhea which can last up to 4 weeks, often in a relapsing and remitting pattern. Ingestion of parasites from fecally contaminated water, soil, food or surfaces leads to infection. Infected people excrete the parasite in their stool at the onset of symptoms up to several weeks after symptoms resolve. In immunocompromised persons, cryptosporidiosis can cause chronic disease and life-threatening malabsorption.

Interactive Disease Data

Laboratory Reporting for this Disease

Cryptosporidium species

TEST NAME	Cryptosporidium species
DISEASE/DISORDER	Cryptosporidiosis
ALTERNATE NAME(S)	Crypto
METHODOLOGY	Molecular methods
SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS	None
ORDERING INFORMATION	TDH DLS Requisition Form: PH-4182 Clinical Submission Requisition Form

Specimen Requirements

Patient Preparation	None
Specimen Collection	Acceptable specimen types: - Unfixed stool - miminum volume of 200µL - Frozen stool - Fixed stools in the following media: - Cary-Blair media - C & S culture transport media - Zinc PVA - Intestinal Parasite (IP) Total Fix media - Potassium dichromate - Amies or Stuart transport media
Specimen Labeling	Specimen must be labeled with at least two unique patient identifiers and match accompanying PH-4182 Clinical Submission Requisition.
Specimen Processing	None
Specimen Storage and Preservation	Unfixed stools stored at 2 - 8°C less than one month. Unfixed frozen stools stored at (-20) to (-70)ºC. Fixed stools stored at the following temperatures and recieved less than thirty (30) days following collection: - Cary-Blair media stored at 2 - 30°C - Potassium dichromate stored at 2 - 30°C - Amies or Stuart transport media stored at 2 - 30°C - Intestinal Parasite (IP) Total Fix media at 17 - 25°C - Zinc PVA stored at 17 - 25°C
Specimen Transportation	Ship at the following temperatures: - Unfixed stools 2 - 8°C - Specimens in C & S culture transport media 2 - 30°C - Specimens in Potassium dichromate 2 - 30°C Ship specimens in the following media at 17 - 25°C: - ZincPVA - Intestinal parasite (IP) Total Fix bottle (black cap) Ship frozen samples at (-20) to (-70) °C on Dry Ice All infectious substance shipments must conform to U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR 49 C.F.R. Parts 171-180).
Specimen Acceptability and Rejection	Unsatisfactory specimens include, but may not be limited to: - Specimen was broken or leaked in transit - Specimens with interfering substances present such as bismuth, barium, mineral oil, gall-bladder dyes, urine, water, or dirt - No specimen was in the container submitted - Stools submitted in Formalin - Stools, other than frozen, received later than thirty (30) days after collection - Specimens that are incorrectly labeled or contain discrepancies between the test requisition and the specimen container - Specimen containers that are overfilled
Testing Location	Nashville

Laboratory Reporting

Reporting requirements apply to all laboratories located within Tennessee, as well as laboratories outside of Tennessee that test residents of Tennessee, including laboratories located within healthcare facilities. Healthcare providers and laboratories in the same healthcare facility both have a duty to report. The type of organisms and analytes laboratories must report to TDH for 2026 are indicated, and there are several ways laboratories can report results to TDH.

Manually report results to TDH by faxing or mailing a completed PH-1600 form to your local health department, or faxing to the state health office at (615) 741-3857
Automatically submit results to TDH via electronic laboratory reporting (ELR), which automates the process of sharing data with TDH using interoperability standards.
- See the ELR Onboarding Handbook for details on the onboarding process, checklist, frequently asked questions, business rules, message format, and vocabulary.
- To initiate the ELR onboarding process with TDH, register in the Trading Partner Registration (TPR) system TPR provides documentation for Promoting Interoperability (PI) attestation and milestone letters to document onboarding progress. Contact MU.Health@tn.gov for assistance.
Submit online via NBS. NBS is TDH's reportable disease system. To request an NBS account for reporting Complete this user survey to request an NBS account for reporting.
Blood lead levels can be sent via fax ( (615) 741-3857), entered online, or reported using the instructions at this link.

Information about this Reportable Disease for Healthcare Providers

Clinical Summary

Cryptosporidium spp., a protozoan parasite causing diarrheal illness.

Common human species: C. hominis and C. parvum.

Oocysts are immediately infectious when excreted and resistant to chlorine.

Clinical Links & Info

Clinical Care Overview | CDC

Testing & Diagnosis | CDC

Treatment (Patients & Providers) | CDC

Review the case definition | CDC

Laboratory Diagnosis | CDC

Healthcare Provider Reporting

Healthcare reporting requirements apply to all providers located within Tennessee, as well as providers whose patients reside in Tennessee.

Providers must report cases of all diseases and conditions listed through one of these methods:

• Mail or fax a completed PH-1600 form to your local health department or fax to the state health office at (615) 741-3857

• Send automatically via electronic case reporting (eCR). See this TDH webpage for more information on eCR, register at the Trader Partner Registration website, or contact MU.Health@tn.gov for assistance.

• Submit online via NBS. NBS is TDH's reportable disease system. To request an NBS account for reporting Complete this user survey to request an NBS account for reporting.

• Blood lead levels can be sent via fax ( (615) 741-3857), entered online, or reported using the instructions at this link.

Information about this Reportable Disease for the Public

What It Is

Cryptosporidiosis (or “Crypto”) is a diarrheal disease caused by the microscopic parasite Cryptosporidium. It infects the intestines and is spread through the fecal-oral route, often by swallowing contaminated water, food, or contact with infected people or animals. The parasite’s oocysts are resistant to chlorine and can survive for long periods in the environment.

Types

There are several species, but the main ones infecting humans are:

Cryptosporidium hominis – primarily infects humans.
Cryptosporidium parvum – infects both humans and animals (zoonotic).
Other species (e.g., C. meleagridis, C. canis, C. felis) can occasionally infect humans, especially those with weakened immune systems.

Signs and Symptoms

Symptoms usually appear 2–10 days (average 7) after infection and may last 1–2 weeks or longer.

Common symptoms include:

Watery diarrhea (most common)
Stomach cramps or pain
Nausea or vomiting
Low-grade fever
Weight loss and dehydration
Fatigue or loss of appetite

In immunocompromised individuals (e.g., HIV, transplant, chemotherapy), symptoms can be severe and long-lasting, sometimes leading to life-threatening dehydration or malnutrition.

Treatment

Medication: Nitazoxanide is the only FDA-approved drug for treating Crypto in people with healthy immune systems.

Adults: 500 mg twice daily for 3 days

Children (1–11 years): weight-based dosing

Supportive Care:

Maintain hydration and electrolyte balance.
Anti-diarrheal medications may be used under medical advice.

For Immunocompromised Patients:

Improve immune function (e.g., antiretroviral therapy in HIV).
Nitazoxanide may have limited benefit.

This Page Last Updated: March 25, 2026 at 8:53 PM