Cyclosporiasis: what to know and when to seek care

Health officials continue to investigate a multistate cyclosporiasis outbreak, with thousands of confirmed cases reported this summer.

The rising number of cases raises an important question about symptoms such as diarrhea: When should you seek help?

That’s not always easy to answer, particularly with cyclospora. The intestinal parasite that causes the illness when people ingest contaminated food or water can be stubborn, says Dr. John Brill, a family medicine provider and the vice president of population health sciences & research at Advocate Health Care and Aurora Health Care.

“Cyclospora is a tricky parasite,” says Dr. Brill. “It’s difficult to completely wash it off contaminated food like fruits and vegetables. And if you do ingest it, your symptoms could take a week or more to appear. This makes it tough to track what food might have been the culprit.”

Medical treatment or home care?

Cyclosporiasis differs from other intestinal illnesses in that it can persist for a longer period. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention noted that without treatment, the symptoms often flare up, improve and then come back again. This pattern can last a few days, a month or even longer.

Seek medical care if:

• You experience severe diarrhea that lasts for more than a few days
• Your symptoms aren’t improving or return after they improved
• You’re experiencing signs of dehydration, such as dizziness, excessive thirst, dry mouth or decreased urination
• You have a weakened immune system or another condition that increases risk for complications

“Fortunately, cyclosporiasis can be very effectively treated with antibiotics,” Dr. Brill says. “If your symptoms come and go or you’re experiencing severe illness, your care team may opt to treat you with a course of medicine to knock the parasite out for good.”

A recipe for rehydration

There are steps you can take at home to offset the dehydration that often follows severe diarrhea. Dr. Brill recommends an oral rehydration solution.

To make the solution, start with a 32-ounce container and add:

• About 16 ounces of water
• 1/2 teaspoon table salt
• 1/4 teaspoon salt substitute (if not available, skip this step)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda (if not available, skip this step)
• 2 tablespoons table sugar
• Water to fill the container
• Artificial sweetener if desired

If you have severe diarrhea or vomiting, drink sips of the solution every five minutes throughout the day and discard whatever is left after 24 hours. You also can freeze the solution to use as ice cubes in the next batch but avoid using regular ice because it can dilute the solution.

Stay away from high-sugar drinks because they can make diarrhea worse.

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