Cyclospora

Background

  • one celled microscopic parasite that causes intestinal infection
  • fecal-oral transmission
  • endemic in tropical and subtropical regions

Signs/Symptoms

  • watery (sometimes explosive) diarrhea, loss of appetite, weight loss, stomach cramps/pain, bloating, increased flatus, nausea, and fatigue
  • can last days to over a month
  • In immunocompromised hosts, cyclospora may cause severe, intractable, voluminous diarrhea resembling cryptosporidiosis. Extraintestinal disease in patients with AIDS may include cholecystitis and disseminated infection.

Diagnosis

  • stool O&P

Treatment

  • Bactrim


References

1. U.S. Centers for Disease Control. Cyclosporiasis. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/cyclosporiasis/gen_info/faqs.html