2023-08-04 21:04:59
The British Columbia Center for Disease Control (BCCDC) is asking people to wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly and cook them if possible after a year-to-date spike in infections with Cyclosporaa parasite that causes gastrointestinal illnesses.
The BCCDC reports that 43 cases have been reported to it as of July 31. He investigates to determine the possible sources of the infection.
The number of cases is significantly higher than in previous years. […] That’s why we wanted to make people aware […] so they can take precautions
says Mayank Singal, a doctor at BCCDC.
Symptoms of infection can be diarrhea, abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, and sometimes fever.
The number of cases of Cyclospora the highest before 2023 was recorded in 2017, when 41 cases were reported in BCCDC at this time of year.
An infection often linked to travel
infection by Cyclospora can occur from eating contaminated raw produce, especially leafy green vegetables, fresh herbs and berries.
In British Columbia, most cases are travel-related, as the parasite is most commonly found in tropical and subtropical areas, including Peru, Cuba, India, Nepal, Mexico, Guatemala, Republic Dominican and Southeast Asia.
Locally grown produce is not known to carry Cyclosporaaccording to BCCDC.
But of the 43 reported cases, at least nine were contracted locally, says the BCCDCthat is, they are not related to travel outside of Canada and the United States.
The products in question were therefore imported.
Precautions to take
To reduce the risk of infection from Cyclospora, the BCCDC recommends washing hands thoroughly before handling food. Fruits and vegetables should be washed thoroughly before eating and fruits and vegetables cooked when possible. It is advisable not to drink untreated surface water from streams, rivers, lakes, ponds or shallow wells.
When traveling to an area at high risk of gastrointestinal disease, the BCCDC reminds to avoid fruits and vegetables that cannot be peeled or cooked, to drink bottled water or to boil it.
And if you have diarrhea or severe and persistent symptoms, the BCCDC advises to consult your doctor and to drink a lot to avoid dehydration. Young children, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems are more likely to suffer from serious illness, it also indicates.
According to the federal government, between 2004 and 2019, an average of 238 cases of Cyclospora has been reported annually through the Canadian Notifiable Disease Surveillance System.
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