Cyclospora cayetanensis in a Pediatric Hospital in Morelia, Mexico

Cyclospora cayetanensis, a coccidian parasite, can cause gastrointestinal illness in humans and is characterized by watery and persistent diarrhea and abdominal pain. Cyclosporiasis has been associated with traveler's diarrhea. The infection is acquired through food and waterborne transmission, particularly by consumption of contaminated fresh fruits and vegetables. In the present study, stool samples from 8,877 children were examined for ova and parasites at the Pediatric Hospital of Morelia in Michoacan, Mexico, during 2000-2009. Sixty children (0.67%) had Cyclospora in their stools. Diarrhea (45.8%), abdominal pain (39.6%), and vomiting (18.8%) were the most frequent symptoms of cases with cyclosporiasis. Most of the cases (93.3%) were observed during June-August, the rainy season. 111 45 children, Cyclospora was the only parasitic pathogen detected (75%); 15 children were co-infected with commensal, pathogenic, or both groups of parasites. Our findings suggest that C. cayetanensis is endemic to Michoacan and shows characteristically temporal patterns.