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CDC reports sharp increase in cases of cyclosporiasis
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The CDC is investigating a sharp increase in the number of cases of cyclosporiasis reported in the United States this year.
According to a health alert issued today by the government agency, 206 cases of the intestinal illness have been reported in 27 states in 2017, compared with 88 at the same time last year. So far, there have been 18 hospitalizations and no reported deaths. Humans are infected by consuming food or water contaminated with the parasite Cyclospora cayetanensis but cannot transmit the infection to other people, according to the CDC.
Watery diarrhea is the most common symptom, but patients may also experience anorexia, fatigue, weight loss, nausea, flatulence, abdominal cramping, myalgia, vomiting and low-grade fever, typically an average of 7 days after infection, according to the CDC.
Testing for the infection is not routine in most U.S. laboratories, so health care providers must specifically ask for it, the CDC said. The agency said health care providers should consider a diagnosis of cyclosporiasis in patients with prolonged or remitting-relapsing diarrheal illness and should report suspected and confirmed cases to public health authorities.
According to the CDC, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole is the preferred treatment for the illness. If left untreated, the illness can last for longer than a month.
Past outbreaks of cyclosporiasis in the U.S. have been linked to various imported fresh produce. Cases occur in many countries but are more common in tropical and subtropical regions, the CDC said. – by Gerard Gallagher
References:
CDC. Increase in reported cases of Cyclospora cayetanensis infection, United States, summer 2017. https://emergency.cdc.gov/han/han00405.asp. Accessed Aug. 7, 2017.