Researchers to study stomach flu parasite in Nunavut youth

Nunavut is gearing up for a big medical study of stomach flu among young people.

The collaboration between the territory's Department of Health, the Public Health Agency of Canada and McMaster University is studying Nunavut's high infection rate of cryptosporidium.

Cryptosporidium is a parasite that causes abdominal cramps and diarrhea. It's spread through drinking or swimming in contaminated water or by contact with an infected person. 

Researchers say that when coupled with malnutrition, the parasite could affect early brain development.

Dr. David Goldfarb, who is helping set up the study, says his team is looking for ways to fight the infection as well as find out its long-term health impact.

"Right now, we don't have information to know how important it is here. so we're going to gather some of that information," he said.

"We're planning to include communities from all three regions so we get a sense territory-wide how important these different infections are."

Goldfarb says he hopes to have a preliminary report ready in about a year.