Cyclospora cayetanensis: A Perspective (2020–2023) with Emphasis on Epidemiology and Detection Methods

Abstract

Cyclospora cayetanensis infections are prevalent worldwide, and the parasite has become a major public health and food safety concern. Although important efforts have been dedicated to advance toward preventing and reducing incidences of cyclosporiasis, there are still several knowledge gaps that hamper the implementation of effective measures to prevent the contamination of produce and water with Cyclospora oocysts. Some of these data gaps can be attributed to the fact that access to oocysts is a limiting factor in C. cayetanensis research. There are no animal models or in vivo or in vitro culture systems to propagate the oocysts needed to facilitate C. cayetanensis research. Thus, researchers must rely upon limited supplies of oocysts obtained from naturally infected human patients considerably restricting what can be learnt about this parasite. Despite the limited supply of C. cayetanensis oocysts, several important advances have happened in the past 3 years. Great progress has been made in the Cyclospora field in the areas of molecular characterization of strains and species, generation of genomes, and development of novel detection methods. This comprehensive perspective summarizes research published from 2020 to 2023 and evaluates what we have learnt and identifies those aspects in which further research is needed.

Development and Evaluation/Verification of a Fully Automated Test Platform for the Rapid Detection of Cyclospora cayetanensis in Produce Matrices

“…There are sensitive and specific methods for the detection of C. cayetanensis in produce [4,5,10]. However, to our knowledge, there were not any rapid automated tests for the detection of C. cayetanensis, contaminating fresh produce and environmental samples [5].…”

“…The continual development of new or improved methods for the detection of foodborne pathogens in produce and in the produce production and processing environments is a priority for the FDA and public health agencies [4]. There are sensitive and specific methods for the detection of C. cayetanensis in produce [4,5,10]. However, to our knowledge, there were not any rapid automated tests for the detection of C. cayetanensis, contaminating fresh produce and environmental samples [5].…”

“…While the sensitive and specific detection of C. cayetanensis in produce is possible [4], rapid automated tests for the detection of C. cayetanensis contaminating food and environmental samples are still lacking [5]. To further simplify and streamline the detection of C. cayetanensis, the Mit1C target was transferred to the Rheonix Encompass Optimum™ workstation.…”

The first Cyclospora cayetanensis lineage A genome from an isolate from Mexico

“…People acquire cyclosporiasis via the fecal-oral route by consuming food or water contaminated with sporulated oocysts [ 1 ]. Fresh produce that is consumed raw such as berries, herbs, or leafy greens have all been linked to outbreaks of C. cayetanensis , and the parasite has been detected in fresh produce worldwide [ 1 , 2 ]. The parasite has also been frequently detected in water, which is considered a vehicle of transmission [ 1 – 3 ].…”

“…The parasite has also been frequently detected in water, which is considered a vehicle of transmission [ 1 – 3 ]. Likewise Cyclospora infection has been reported in humans worldwide with C. cayetanensis being considered endemic in most tropical and subtropical countries [ 2 ]. In the United States (U.S.), recurring outbreaks of cyclosporiasis linked to both domestic and imported produce have made C. cayetanensis an emerging public health concern, and when imported produce is implicated in infection, the country of origin of the isolate can be difficult to conclusively demonstrate [ 1 , 2 ].…”