Mexico Investigates UK Cyclosporiasis Cases in Quintana Roo

Cancún, Quintana Roo — Federal health investigators have arrived in Quintana Roo to look into possible cases of cyclosporiasis after the United Kingdom reported dozens of infections among travelers returning from the state, Gov. Mara Lezama said.

The governor said the federal government responded quickly after the UK reported 67 cases of the parasite between April 30 and July 15, most involving travelers who had stayed in Cancún and the Riviera Maya.

“We acted immediately; we spoke with the federal government,” Lezama told reporters. “Today, personnel from Cofepris and Epidemiology are arriving to see what happened, or if it didn’t happen.”

Cofepris is the Federal Commission for Protection against Sanitary Risks, Mexico’s food and drug safety agency.

In a statement, the Health Secretariat said it would conduct an immediate verification of the establishments identified in the UK report and noted that no tests so far have detected the parasite.

Lezama said it remained unclear whether the infections actually occurred in Quintana Roo, since the British travelers visited multiple destinations. “We need to be coordinated; they should notify us so we can act and get results quickly, to determine if it happened here,” she added.

Cyclosporiasis, which causes prolonged diarrhea, can be difficult to trace because symptoms usually appear up to 14 days after consuming contaminated food or water.