Chronic
Diarrhea May Be Caused by a Cyclospora Cayetanensis Infection,
or Cyclosporiasis
When
diarrhea lasts for more than a few days, it is considered
chronic diarrhea. There are several causes for chronic diarrhea,
but a chief cause is infection by an intestinal parasite.
Cyclospora cayetanensis is one such parasite; it infects
the small intestine, and once infection takes place, the
main symptom is chronic diarrhea. A person who is infected
with Cyclospora is said to be suffering from cyclosporiasis.
Cyclospora
is a one-celled, microscopic parasite that was discovered
only recently by scientists. The first known human cases
of cyclosporiasis were documented in 1979, and infections
became more common in the mid-1980s. At first, Cyclospora
infection was usually found in people who lived in, or traveled
to, developing countries. However, now Cyclospora is found
worldwide. During the last several years, outbreaks of cyclosporiasis
have been reported in the United States.
People
of all ages may become infected with Cyclospora, yet exactly
how this intestinal parasite spreads is not completely understood.
It appears the Cyclospora parasite is spread by eating or
drinking something that has been contaminated with infected
stool. However, unlike other parasites, Cyclospora does
not become infectious until days or weeks after it has been
passed into the environment. Therefore, it is unlikely that
Cyclospora is passed directly from one person to another,
for example, by a person who has not properly washed his
or her hands. Some outbreaks of cyclosporiasis have been
linked to fresh produce, including imported produce, and
it is believed these outbreaks could have stemmed from produce
that was washed or stored in stagnant or untreated water.
Once
a person has become infected with Cyclospora, it takes about
a week for symptoms to appear. Common symptoms of cyclosporiasis
include:
- Watery
diarrhea
-
Frequent (sometimes explosive) bowel movements
-
Loss of appetite
-
Loss of weight
-
Bloating
-
Stomach cramps
-
Nausea and vomiting
-
Fatigue
-
Muscle aches
-
Low fever
Since
it is an emerging illness, there’s still a lot to
be learned about the Cyclospora intestinal parasite. It
is not known yet whether cyclosporiasis can be passed from
animals to humans. Anyone who is suffering from chronic
diarrhea and other intestinal distress should be aware that
a parasite could be to blame. A natural
parasite cleanse is a safe alternative to cleanse the
body of many different types of human parasites.
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