1,645 confirmed US cyclosporiasis cases across 34 states have prompted Australian parasitologist Shokoofeh Shamsi to warn the parasite could enter via imported produce or infected travellers and go undetected.
Australia’s risk is judged low because of tight biosecurity and mostly domestic produce, but doctors do not routinely test for Cyclospora and the infection is not a notifiable disease.
Leafy greens, herbs and berries from Central and South America and parts of Asia are common carriers, while parasites are harder to detect than bacteria because labs cannot use standard enrichment techniques.
The US outbreak is being probed for links to shredded lettuce served at Taco Bell and grown by Taylor Farms in Mexico, after federal parasite-control staffing was cut from 11 to three.
Australia’s 2010 Fremantle cruise-ship outbreak—73 lab-confirmed and 241 suspected cases—plus shrinking parasitology expertise underscore concerns that future cases could be missed or underreported.