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Avoid water or food that may be contaminated. Wash your hands after using the toilet and before handling food. If you work in a day-care center where you change or handle dirty diapers, be sure to wash your hands thoroughly with plenty of soap and warm water after every diaper change, even if you wear gloves. During community-wide outbreaks caused by contaminated water (a boil water order may be issued), boil all drinking water for one minute to kill the germs, three minutes if you live at a high altitude like Denver, Colo. (5,200 feet [1,525 meters]).

Avoid drinking water directly from lakes and rivers. Avoid unpasteurized dairy products. Avoid exposure to calves and lambs and places where these animals are raised. Wash your hands after contact with pets and after gardening and other contact with soil. If you are a caregiver for cryptosporidiosis patients, wash your hands after bathing patients, emptying bedpans, changing soiled linen, or coming into contact with stool material. If you have cryptosporidiosis, wash your hands often to prevent spreading the disease to other members of your household.

(See Question 10 for related information.)