Wash your imported produce to avoid cyclospora infection amid spike, says BCCDC

B.C. is seeing an increase in gastrointestinal illness caused by the cyclospora parasite, says the B.C. Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC). 

"Cyclospora infection can occur due to eating contaminated, imported raw produce, especially leafy greens, fresh herbs and berries. Locally-grown produce is not known to carry Cyclospora," the BCCDC said in a release.

The province has seen 43 cases of the illness as of July 31. At least nine of them were acquired locally, meaning the patient hadn't travelled outside Canada or the United States.

The BCCDC says cases of cyclospora in B.C. are usually related to travel, but each spring and summer brings an increase in non-travel related cases.

The parasite is commonly found in tropical and subtropical areas, including Peru, Cuba, India, Nepal, Mexico, Guatemala, Dominican Republic, and Southeast Asia. 

Symptoms of the illness can include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, nausea, and vomiting. Some people also experience a fever.

"One thing of note is that the diarrhea for cyclospora can last for quite a while — [it] can last for a few weeks," BCCDC public health physician Dr. Mayank Singal said.

The centre says on its website antibiotics are often used to treat cyclospora infections. It also advises people with infections to drink plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration from diarrhea.

Wash produce well

The BCCDC is reminding people to wash their fruits and vegetables thoroughly before eating them to combat the parasite, and cook produce where possible. 

"Washing those imported fruits and vegetables really, really thoroughly under tap water [will] give you the best chance of getting those clean," Singal said.

"Washing doesn't necessarily guarantee that the cyclospora will all be washed away, but it certainly reduces the risk of getting sick."

Imported products that have been previously linked to cyclospora infections in B.C. include broccoli, lettuce, cabbage, basil, cilantro, cherries, raspberries and blackberries among others.

While the warm season typically brings a small spike in cyclospora infections in B.C., the BCCDC said the last time there were close to this many cases in the province was in 2017 — when there were 41 reported infections by the end of July.

Singal said the United States is also experiencing a spike in infections.

"A lot of the produce that gets imported into Canada does also go to the U.S. [There are] common countries where this product might be coming from — places like Mexico, Peru, and a lot of countries in Central America as well," he said.

The Public Health Agency of Canada says it's currently investigating a cluster of 230 non-travel related cyclospora infections in Ontario and another 20 in Quebec, in addition to the nine non-travel related cases in B.C. and one in Nova Scotia.