| Disease/Syndrome |
Cyclospora cayetanensis infection |
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| Category |
Infection, Travel |
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| Acute/Chronic |
Acute-Moderate |
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| Synonyms |
Persistent diarrhea |
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| Biomedical References |
Search PubMed |
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| Comments |
FINDINGS: Cyclospora infections cause prolonged, watery diarrhea, fatigue, and weight loss. Fever is rare. [CCDM, p. 142] Symptoms include noninflammatory diarrhea, fatigue, weight loss, abdominal pain, nausea, and sometimes constipation. The average incubation period is one week. Diagnosis by identification of oocysts in fecal smears is difficult and requires the skills of an experienced technician. [Soave R, Herwaldt BL, Relman DA. Cyclospora. Infect Dis Clin North Am. 1998 Mar;12(1):1-12] EPIDEMIOLOGY: The first outbreak of Cyclospora gastroenteritis in the USA was documented in 1990. Outbreaks have been linked to contaminated water and produce (raspberries from Guatemala, basil, and lettuce). [CCDM, p. 142] RELATED DISEASES: The three important human intestinal coccidial protozoa are Cryptosporidium, Cyclospora, and Isospora. They are resistant to chlorine disinfection and cause identical symptoms. The Cryptosporidium cysts are smaller and more difficult to remove by filtering. The cysts of Cyclospora and Isospora, unlike those of Cryptosporidium, are not infectious when passed in the feces. They require days to weeks in the environment to sporulate. Isospora is rarely found outside tropical and subtropical regions. Isospora, and possibly Dientamoeba fragilis, are the only protozoans known to cause eosinophilia. [Guerrant, p. 17, 335-41] |
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| Latency/Incubation |
About one week; |
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| Diagnostic |
Collect 3 stool samples over 3-5 days for microscopic detection of the Cyclospora 8-10 um oocysts; Lab techniques include a modified acid-fast stain and phase contrast or ultraviolet light. |
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| ICD-9 Code |
007.5 |
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| Effective Antimicrobics |
Yes |
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| Scope |
Global; Infections have been reported in travelers returning from Nepal, Mexico, Peru, Morocco, India, and Pakistan. [Lexi-ID, p. 101] |
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| Reference Link |
CDC - Cyclospora Infection |
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| Related Information in Haz-Map |
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| Symptoms/Findings |
Symptoms/Findings associated with this disease:
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| Job Tasks |
High risk job tasks associated with this disease:
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