What does Cyclospora do to you?
Cyclospora is a microscopic (tiny, not seen without a microscope) parasite that can affect the intestinal tract and cause diarrhea (loose stool/poop) in those who get infected. People get infected when they eat or drink food or water contaminated with the parasite.
What is Cyclospora illness?
Cyclosporiasis is a diarrheal illness caused by the protozoan parasite, Cyclospora cayetanensis. People become infected with Cyclospora by consuming food or water that has been contaminated with feces that contain the parasite.
How do you get Cyclospora infection?
You get it by drinking water or eating food that’s been contaminated by a person infected with the parasite. A person infected with cyclospora passes the parasite in stool. However, unlike some other foodborne parasites, cyclospora doesn’t become infectious until days or weeks after it’s passed in a bowel movement.
Is Cyclospora contagious?
It’s unlikely to be transmitted directly from person to person because the Cyclospora parasite needs time (days to weeks) after being passed in a bowel movement to become infectious for another person.
What are the symptoms of a Cyclospora infection?
Cyclospora infects the small intestine (bowel) and usually causes watery diarrhea, with frequent, sometimes explosive, bowel movements. Other common symptoms include loss of appetite, weight loss, stomach cramps/pain, bloating, increased gas, nausea, and fatigue.
What foods can you get Cyclospora from?
Cases of cyclospora infections have been linked to fresh fruits and vegetables, such a raspberries and lettuce, that probably came into direct contact with an infected person or contaminated water. Fruits and vegetables grown or packed outside of the United States may have a higher risk of having cyclospora on them.
Is cyclosporiasis fatal?
If a person ill from cyclosporiasis is not treated, symptoms can persist for several weeks to a month or more. Some symptoms, such as diarrhea, can return; and some symptoms, such as fatigue, may continue after the gastrointestinal symptoms have gone away. The infection usually is not life threatening.
How can I tell if I have a parasite?
Signs and Symptoms
- Abdominal pain.
- Diarrhea.
- Nausea or vomiting.
- Gas or bloating.
- Dysentery (loose stools containing blood and mucus)
- Rash or itching around the rectum or vulva.
- Stomach pain or tenderness.
- Feeling tired.
How do you know you have Cyclospora?