Cyclospora cayetanensis is a single-cell parasite that infects the human intestine and causes intense diarrhoea, weight loss and fatigue. Other symptoms may be loss of appetite, bloating, increased gas, stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, muscle aches and low-grade fever.
It can be present in food, such as raw strawberries or raspberries.
Coccidian/cyanobacterium-like bodies
The first known human cases of illness caused by Cyclospora infection (i.e. cyclosporiasis) were reported in 1979. Cases began being reported more often in the mid-1980s. In the last several years, outbreaks of cyclosporiasis have been reported in the United States and Canada. One in 1996 made more than 1000 people in 11 states sick.