Six Albertans diagnosed with parasitic illness; province finds no U.S. outbreak link

Alberta health officials are investigating an uptick in cyclosporiasis, a parasitic illness that causes severe diarrhea, after six people tested positive since May 1.

While the United States is currently dealing with a large outbreak of the same illness, Alberta has found no connection between its cases and the American outbreak. "Four of the five cases were associated with recent travel to Mexico, while none involved travel to the United States," wrote Jaye Lang, press secretary for Primary and Preventative Health Services Minister Justin Wright. The sixth case was confirmed July 15.

There have been no hospitalizations or deaths among the Alberta cases. Health officials are investigating travel histories, food exposures, and other potential links to outbreaks. "While Alberta cases are being assessed against the cyclospora outbreak under investigation in the United States, no connections have been identified to date, and investigators have not identified a common food source or food establishment associated with the Alberta cases," Lang said.

Dr. Lynora Saxinger, an infectious diseases specialist at the University of Alberta, noted that Quebec recently experienced a larger spike in cases, also mostly among people with travel histories to Mexico. "They've had kind of a crazy weather year [in Mexico] with a lot of storms … that kind of circumstance can let essentially human sanitation get washed into agricultural water, which is where we think this is coming from," Saxinger said.

Cyclosporiasis symptoms include watery diarrhea, stomach cramps, and mild fever. The illness can be treated with antibiotics, though symptoms can persist for weeks to months. Those at highest risk include the very young, the very old, and those with compromised immune systems.