HOPKINS COUNTY, Ky. ( FOX 56) — Officials sounded the alarm Monday as a Giardia outbreak had begun to migrate in Kentucky.

The Giardia outbreak in Hopkins County is spreading, health officials warn. Monday, Kentucky Public Health released a ...

HOPKINS COUNTY, Ky. (WKRC) — An outbreak of Giardia has begun to migrate across Kentucky, according to health officials. A ...

A total of 66 laboratory-confirmed cases of Giardia have been reported in Hopkins, Muhlenberg and Webster Counties since May.

Cases of the gut disease giardiasis coincided with failures at the water treatment plant in Havre, which supplies the town of roughly 10,000 people with their drinking water.

The report says the Montana Department of Environmental Quality collected a raw water sample from the City of Havre's water system on May 1, 2024, and results confirmed giardia in the source water.

“ (The plant operators) never detected giardia in the city’s water supply,” said Havre Mayor Doug Kaercher in an interview over the phone. “It’s suspect. It’s potential.

Giardia is a tiny parasite that causes diarrhea and can spread easily from one person to another through food, water, surfaces or objects, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Officials said several dogs from various households had confirmed cases of Giardia. The parasite is most frequently discovered in water, contaminated soil, and food, according to veterinarians.

Giardia is a parasite that is swallowed and goes through the intestinal tract, causing diarrhea. This can be found in water ...