What is Cyclospora?

Cyclospora cayetanensis is a microscopic parasite that causes the intestinal illness cyclosporiasis. Infection usually occurs after consuming food or water contaminated with the parasite.

Is Cyclospora a bacterium, virus, or parasite?

Cyclospora cayetanensis is a microscopic protozoan parasite that causes the intestinal illness cyclosporiasis.

What are the symptoms of Cyclospora infection?

Common symptoms include watery diarrhea, abdominal cramps, bloating, nausea, fatigue, decreased appetite, and weight loss. Symptoms often begin about one week after exposure and can last several weeks without treatment.

Which foods are commonly associated with Cyclospora outbreaks?

Historically, outbreaks have been linked to fresh produce including leafy greens, basil, cilantro, raspberries, and other foods that are consumed raw.

Can stool culture detect Cyclospora?

No. Because Cyclospora cayetanensis is a parasite rather than a bacterium, it is not detected by routine bacterial stool culture. Detection typically requires parasite-specific laboratory methods or molecular assays.

Why is molecular testing research useful for gastrointestinal pathogens?

Molecular PCR testing enables rapid, analytically sensitive detection of multiple bacterial, viral, and parasitic pathogens from a single stool specimen, reducing the need for multiple sequential tests. You can get results in hours (and bypass culture), compared to results taking days for traditional testing methods.

Can people have more than one gastrointestinal pathogen?

Yes. Coinfections can occur, particularly in individuals with infectious gastroenteritis, making comprehensive molecular testing useful when the causative pathogen is unknown.

Does Thermo Fisher Scientific offer an assay that detects Cyclospora?

Yes. The TrueMark™ Enteric gastrointestinal pathogen portfolio includes a research assay targeting Cyclospora cayetanensis across all GI product formats.

Which pathogens can be detected alongside Cyclospora?

Depending on the research panel selected, laboratories can test for a broad range of gastrointestinal pathogens, including Salmonella, Campylobacter, Shigella/EIEC, norovirus, rotavirus, Giardia, Cryptosporidium, Entamoeba histolytica, and many others.

Are TrueMark™ Enteric products intended for clinical diagnosis?

No. TrueMark™ Enteric products are For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.

Infectious Diseases Genomics News & Articles

Magnified view of parasite contamination on fresh leafy greens, illustrating foodborne pathogen detection.

Email
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
First Name
Last Name
Email*
Company
Select your country/region*
Pick a category*
*
- I would like to receive information about content, events, products, services and promotions from Thermo Fisher Scientific and its affiliates. I agree for the Thermo Fisher Scientific group (thermofisher.com/legalentities) to contact me by email and/or telephone to inform me of events, products, services and/or promotions offered in connection with the brands Thermo Scientific™, Applied Biosystems™, Invitrogen™, Gibco™, Ion Torrent ™, Unity Lab Services™, Fisher Scientifc™. I can withdraw my consent and unsubscribe at any time by emailing reply@thermofisher.com By submitting my data, I give consent to the collection, processing and use of my personal data in accordance with the Thermo Fisher Scientific Policy (thermofisher.com/privacypolicy).

Cyclospora Outbreak in the United States: Why Rapid Molecular Te...

Responding to Hantavirus: Advancing Rapid Molecular Detection

Tracking grape pathogens from air to vine – a conversation wit...

From Bottlenecks to Breakthroughs: Scaling Molecular Testing wit...

How to Achieve More Sustainable mRNA Synthesis and Purification

Utilizing Digital PCR for Wastewater Surveillance: An Interview ...

Thermo Fisher Scientific’s Absolute Q Digital PCR system now a...

The Reemergence of the “Other” Respiratory Pathogens

Sequencing the monkeypox genome with Ion Torrent NGS

Local, High-Quality NGS Can Improve SARS-CoV-2 Surveillance