Abstract
Cyclospora cayetanensis is an important emerging infectious disease agent found worldwide causing cyclosporiasis; a condition presenting with prolonged and profuse diarrhoea in immunocompetent and immunocompromised (such as AIDS) patients. It is endemic in some tropical regions of the world and mostly associated with travel to these areas. The prevalence of Cyclospora cayetanensis in the UK remains very low. Cases of cyclosporiasis are often misdiagnosed or even missed due to the lack of understanding of the epidemiological and laboratory features of this pathogen. In this report a 42 year old male animal farm worker and a 45 year old female patient presented with the signs and symptoms of a gastrointestinal illness over a period of several weeks. Cyclospora cayetanensis oocysts were detected in stool specimens. Oral Trimethoprim-sulfamethaxazole 160/800 mg twice daily for 10 days was administered in first patient while second patient improved without specific treatment. This is a first example of a possible link between animals to human spread of Cyclospora cayetanensis in one of the cases. The authors also review the previously reported cyclosporiasis cases in the literature.
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