How Do People Get Cyclosporiasis and Cryptosporidiosis?
Cryptosporidiosis and cyclosporiasis, a closely related illness, are two of the most common infections that result from contaminated water and food. They (and similar illnesses) affect millions of people worldwide and are especially dangerous to children, the elderly, and people with other illnesses, especially those (like AIDS) that weaken the immune system. The infections are common in developing nations, but they also are found increasingly in developed nations like the United States that import food. For example, a 1996 outbreak of cyclosporiasis in Houston, Texas, was linked with raspberries imported from Guatemala. Both cyclosporiasis and cryptosporidiosis result when humans eat food or drink water containing microscopic parasites from infected human or animal waste. The Cyclospora cayetanensis and Cryptosporidium parvum parasites also can enter the human body when people touch objects that have come in contact with infected fecal matter and then place fingers in their mouths. Fr
