Outbreaks of Cyclospora infections have been occurring annually in the U.S. since 2012, and government agencies have recently linked the intestinal disease outbreaks to cilantro imported from Puebla, Mexico.
The following are five things to know about the outbreaks and the illness itself.
1. Cyclosporiasis is an intestinal illness caused by Cyclospora cayetanensis, a microscopic parasite. People can become infected after eating or drinking food or water contaminated by the parasite, according to the CDC.
2. In the U.S., foodborne outbreaks of cyclosporiasis in years past have been linked to imported fresh produce, like raspberries, basil, snow peas and lettuce, according to the CDC.
3. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, outbreaks of the illness have occurred each year since 2012 in the U.S., including this year. So far in 2015, for instance, Texas has had 205 reports of cyclosporiasis infections, the Texas Department of State Health Services reported. According to the FDA, Wisconsin has also seen such illness clusters this year.
4. Investigations have linked all these annual outbreaks to cilantro coming to the United States from Puebla, Mexico. The FDA is now detaining cilantro from Puebla from April 1 through August 31 of each year due to these investigations. There has not been a recall of the products, according to NBC DFW.
5. Healthcare workers should consider Cyclospora as a possible cause of diarrheal illness if the patient has recent travel history to an area where Cyclospora is endemic, according to the CDC. Other symptoms of such an infection include loss of appetite, fatigue, weight loss, abdominal cramps, bloating, increased gas, nausea, vomiting and a low fever, according to the Texas DSHS.