Texas health officials today reported at least 5 additional cyclosporiasis cases in the current outbreak, bringing the total case count to 187.
People become infected with Cyclospora by ingesting sporulated oocysts, which are the infective form of the parasite. This most commonly occurs when food or water contaminated with feces is consumed.
Cyclosporiasis occurs in many countries, but it seems to be most common in tropical and subtropical regions.
In the United States, foodborne outbreaks of cyclosporiasis since the mid-1990s have been linked to various types of imported fresh produce, including raspberries, basil, snow peas, and mesclun lettuce; no commercially frozen or canned produce has been implicated.
Symptoms of cyclosporiasis begin an average of 7 days (range, 2 days to ≥2 weeks) after ingestion of sporulated oocysts.
The major symptom is watery diarrhea lasting a few days to a few months. Additional symptoms may include loss of appetite, fatigue, weight loss, abdominal cramps, bloating, increased gas, nausea, vomiting and a low fever. People who think they may have a Cyclosporainfection should contact their health care provider.
