Cyclosporiasis is more common in which regions?

• A. Polar
• B. Temperate
• C. High-altitude
• D. Tropical and subtropical

Answer: (D)

Cyclosporiasis is caused by Cyclospora cayetanensis and is acquired by ingesting sporulated oocysts in contaminated food or water. The infectious form develops in the environment after being shed in human feces, and this sporulation process requires warm, humid conditions. Tropical and subtropical climates provide these conditions more consistently, and fresh produce from these regions is often implicated in outbreaks when it is contaminated during growing, harvesting, processing, or shipping. That combination of favorable environment for oocyst survival and the global movement of produce explains why cyclosporiasis occurs more commonly there. In cooler regions, sporulation is less favorable and local transmission is rarer, while outbreaks in temperate zones usually trace back to imported produce.