Along with its water crisis, Kashechewan First Nation is also dealing with cases of gastrointestinal illnesses, and it’s unclear if the two are connected. In an email to CTV News on Thursday, Indigenous Services Canada spokesperson Eric Head confirmed cases of cryptosporidiosis among some Kashechewan residents. The email did not specify if the cases were evacuees or residents still in the remote northern Ontario community. Leadership in the First Nation suspects it’s both, telling CTV News that there are 34 cases in total. “All public health officials are taking this illness very seriously,” wrote Head. “Cryptosporidium is a reportable disease of public health significance and is transmissible.” Symptoms include watery diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting and mild fever – with dehydration being a major concern. The ‘Do Not Consume’ water advisory remains in place in Kashechewan and repairs are still underway on the water treatment system after it failed earlier this month, forcing the community to declare a State of Emergency. “I think the first point of investigation is our water supply,” said executive director Tyson Wesley in reference to the health issues that have surfaced. He said testing is currently underway to determine if the gastrointestinal illness is caused by the recent water infrastructure failure. “I don’t think we really did stool samples to really find out what was happening to people… maybe a few days or a week after the situation with our water plant unfolded,” Wesley said. “We don’t know exactly when it started, but I know that infrastructure was failing and raw sewage was entering the water,” he added. Results from those tests are expected on Jan 30. “Right now, we’re not speculating, we’re not saying that it is the water but that’s kind of our first point of investigation,” Wesley said. The First Nation’s leaders confirmed there are only about 460 residents left in the community after others were evacuated to Timmins, Kapuskasing, Kingston and Niagara Falls. Wesley added that about 60 more will be evacuated to Cochrane and Taykwa Tagamou First Nation this week. RELATED STORIES:
