The public figure such as Saba Azad who is infected with cyclospora cayetanensis underscores the need to learn about food borne parasitic infection.
Let’s deep dive into this parasitic bug and understand how it affects our health:
- A tiny parasite that can cause an intestinal infection leading to gastrointestinal illness .
- It accounts for 2.11% roughly, diarrhoeal cases in India, with numbers rising sharply in dense urban pocket’s
- Usually spreads through contaminated food or water , especially raw fruits and vegetables that are not washed properly .
When a person eat or drink something contaminated, the parasite enters the digestive symptoms and affects the small intestine leading to irritation and inflammation
SYMPTOMS:
Most common : watery diarrhoea
Others :
Stomach cramps ,Bloating ,Nausea, Loss of appetite
Some may experience weight loss if infection continues for several days. Symptoms usually appear about 1 week but may also 2- 3 week depends upon person to person immunity .
**“ One interest thing about cyclospora cayetanensis is that it does not spread directly from person to person”**. The parasite needs time in the environment- typically in soil or water to become infectious .
PREVENTIVE MEASURES:
Cyclospora cayetanensis is usually “ sticky” clinging to the crevices of leafy greens and the uneven surface of berries . Baking soda helps by loosening that grip.
MBH/PS