Why cyclosporiasis testing is challenging as the intestinal disease spreads
Cases of cyclosporiasis continue to rise in the United States, with infections confirmed in at least 18 states.
As of Thursday, 1,251 cases were reported in Michigan and 177 in Ohio.
Testing for Cyclospora, the parasite that causes cyclosporiasis, is not typically included in routine U.S. laboratory stool testing and must be specifically requested by a healthcare provider, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
What you need to know about cyclosporiasis: How is it spread, how is it treated?
Individuals may need to submit several samples taken on different days because the parasite may not be shed enough to be detected in a stool sample, the CDC said.
CEO of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, Dr. “The most sensitive tests, the ones that are most likely to detect an infection, are stool PCR tests, or you can use a stool microscope,” Jeanne Marrazzo told ABC News.
Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis involves identifying parasite DNA present in a stool sample.
According to the CDC, microscopy requires visualization under a microscope, a specific feature characteristic of Cyclospora oocysts or eggs.
CDC – PHOTO: Cyclospora cayetanensis is a single-celled parasite that causes an intestinal infection called cyclosporiasis.
Symptoms of cyclosporiasis may include severe watery diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain or bloating, according to the CDC.
The time between being infected and getting sick is usually about a week, but it can be anywhere from two days to two weeks or more. The long incubation period can make it difficult to trace what may have infected someone.
“Most people with diarrhea don’t go to the doctor,” Marrazzo said. But if symptoms persist, “it may be a good time to seek treatment,” he said.
Additionally, tracking down someone who is infected can be a laborious process.
Health officials say cyclosporiasis cases top 1,200 in Michigan
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services told ABC News that when it received a report that a person had been tested and found to have cyclosporiasis, the local health department in the area where they lived contacted them to interview them.
“We provide them with a survey that asks questions about when people started feeling sick, the number of days they had symptoms and the types of symptoms,” a spokesperson told ABC News. “We also ask which restaurants and grocery stores people visited or shopped in the 12 days before they got sick. We try to get specific dates, locations and food/ingredients whenever possible.”
Srishti Goel, MD, MPH, is a public health and general preventive medicine resident at the University of Texas at Tyler Program and a member of the ABC News Medical Unit.
ABC News’ Mary Kekatos and Youri Benadjaoud contributed to the report.
