The county health department is warning guests of Gaylord Pacific Resort in Chula Vista that they may have been exposed to the cryptosporidium parasite if they used the facility’s pools between July 24 and Aug. 15.
While no water samples were collected from the resort’s extensive waterpark, public health interviews revealed that four people who fell ill had all had water contact at the venue during the indicated timeframe.
All four cases were local residents. None got sick enough to require a hospital stay.
Cryptosporidium, also called “crypto,” spreads when people swallow small amounts of water containing the microorganism, which is shed in stool. Equipped with a protective shell that makes it excellent at resisting chlorine, crypto can persist even if pools are maintained at proper chlorination levels.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends “hyperchlorination” to clean pool water, increasing the levels of disinfectant for up to 28 hours.
Gaylord, the county said, closed its pools on Aug. 25 after receiving notice from the county health department of the linked cases. By Aug. 28, all pools had been reopened after hyperchlorination was complete.
“Pool records indicated the chlorine levels had remained in the recommended levels during hyperchlorination and that pool filters were checked and cleaned,” a county official said in an email.
Inspectors from the county Department of Environmental Health and Quality visited on Aug. 26, 27 and 28 to verify that the hyperchlorination operation was carried out as prescribed.
Notices dated Wednesday, Sept. 2, were sent to all hotel employees, registered overnight guests and those who purchased day passes in the potential exposure window.
Copies of the notice surfaced online Thursday, and a county public health communications director confirmed Friday that the notice is authentic.
Crypto, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, most often causes diarrhea, and symptoms often appear between two and 10 days after infection. For healthy patients, illness generally resolves without major medical consequences. However, infection can be much more serious for those with compromised immune systems.
The resort did not respond Friday to requests for comment.
Cryptosporidium is distinct from cyclospora cayetanensis, the parasite that has caused increased reports of gastrointestinal illness nationwide this summer, including those linked to an ongoing multistate outbreak linked to iceberg lettuce.