Cyclosporiasis: The Cyclospora Parasite in Food and Water — Symptoms, Spread, Prevention

Cyclosporiasis is a gastrointestinal illness caused by the microscopic parasite Cyclospora. People catch it by eating food or drinking water that contains the parasite. It is not usually life-threatening, but it can make some people very sick.

Symptoms

Some infected people have no symptoms. The parasite infects the small intestine and can cause watery, sometimes frequent diarrhea, cramping and loss of appetite. More: symptoms of cyclosporiasis.

• Timing: usually about one week from infection to illness, but from 2 days to 2 weeks or more.
• Untreated, it can last from a few days to more than a month, and symptoms may seem to go away and come back once or more.

Who is at risk

• Anyone who eats contaminated food or drinks contaminated water.
• Children, people with weakened immune systems and older people may get sicker, or suffer complications from severe dehydration.
• Risk is higher for people who live in or travel to tropical or subtropical regions, where it is more common.
• It is less common in the United States, but U.S. outbreaks have been linked to various kinds of fresh produce. More: risk factors.

How it spreads

Cyclospora spreads through food or water contaminated with human feces. After leaving the body in a bowel movement, the parasite needs about 1 to 2 weeks outside it to become infectious — so it is unlikely to spread directly from person to person.

Prevention

Safe food handling is the best protection:

• Wash your hands, and wash fresh produce thoroughly under running water, before eating, cutting or cooking it.
• Cook produce to at least 158°F (70°C) — washing alone may not remove the parasite.
• Follow food recalls and outbreaks, and don't eat recalled food.

More: preventing cyclosporiasis.

Diagnosis

See a health care provider if you have symptoms. Routine stool tests don't look for Cyclospora, so the provider may order a specific test, and you may need to give several stool samples on different days. For clinicians: clinical guidance.

Treatment

Most people with healthy immune systems recover without treatment, but untreated illness can last a few days to a month or more. Cyclosporiasis is treated with antibiotics. With diarrhea, rest and drink plenty of fluids. For clinicians: clinical care.

CDC tracks cases nationwide and helps state health departments find and investigate outbreaks.

Sources

Based on "About Cyclosporiasis," Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; a work of the United States government in the public domain. The source's stock photograph is not reproduced.