Hundreds of tourists from Ireland and the United Kingdom who traveled to Spain, especially to Salou, since mid-August and, especially, in September, have been infected by a parasite, Cryptosporidium, which causes diarrhea.
This is indicated by the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), which collects information from the health services of Ireland and the United Kingdom, which link these infections with recent trips to Spain. Also, although without specifying where the infection could come from, it reports an increase in cases in the Netherlands and Luxembourg.
What is cryptosporidiosis? An intestinal infection caused by a Cryptosporidium protozoan parasite. The main symptoms are abdominal pain and diarrhea. The infection is acquired through consumption of contaminated water or food or by having contact with infected people or animals. In healthy people, they subside in a couple of weeks, but the consequences for immunosuppressed people are more serious.
On October 13, 2023, the Health Protection Surveillance Center (HPSC) of Ireland published a press release warning of the increase in cases of cryptosporidiosis among Irish tourists returning from Spain, especially Salou.
According to the HPSC, 656 cases have been detected so far this year, with a notable increase since the end of August 2023, "including 51 cases (37 confirmed) associated with travel history to Salou."
They are not the only ones. Between August 16 and the end of September, UK laboratories confirmed 2,411 cases of cryptosporidiosis, of which 2,032 were reported in England. Of the 394 cryptosporidiosis cases in England who provided travel information, 215 (55%) reported having traveled abroad in the 14 days before their illness. Of these cases, 96 (45%) indicate trips to Spain (peninsula or Balearic Islands).
Additionally, unusual increases in laboratory reports of cryptosporidiosis cases were observed in Luxembourg and the rest of the world. In the Netherlands, 129 cases were detected in laboratories in September, almost double the average recorded that month in previous years. In Luxembourg, the number of cases has multiplied by 5 in September compared to the same month in 2022.
Regarding the increase in cases of cryptosporidiosis in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Luxembourg and the Netherlands since mid-August and particularly in September, the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control considers that "this could be due to a combination of factors related to travel and extreme weather conditions (heat waves, heavy rain and flooding) that have affected southern Europe this summer.
Cryptosporidiosis is a parasitic disease. Transmission is fecal-oral, through ingestion of infectious oocysts, through direct contact with infected people or animals, or through contaminated water and food, according to the ECDC.
Cryptosporidium oocysts can survive for months in moist soil or water and survive in adverse environmental conditions (e.g., heat or cold) for prolonged periods of time. Oocysts are usually resistant to the most common disinfectants, such as chlorine.
The infectious dose is very low and ingestion of about 10 to 30 oocysts has been reported to cause infection. In healthy individuals, the infection may be asymptomatic; However, the most common presentation is diarrhea that resolves spontaneously within a couple of weeks.
In contrast, patients with immunodeficiency may develop profuse, life-threatening watery diarrhea.
