International Cyclospora conference held

By Jennifer Reynolds

Communication Professional for the Center for Food Safety

In early March, global experts in Cyclospora, a parasite responsible for fresh produce foodborne outbreaks, met in Atlanta to discuss their research. The meeting was an opportunity to “unravel insights, foster collaboration, and pave the way towards effective solutions for combating Cyclospora contamination and safeguarding public health” - an uphill battle as Cyclospora is notoriously challenging to study in the lab.

Anne Straily, a veterinary medical officer with the CDC, was one of the conference presenters. She said there are many reasons why Cyclospora is challenging to study. Two of those challenges are that it cannot be grown in the lab and infects only humans. Because of these limitations and others, researchers must rely on samples from patients with cyclosporiasis. 

This means that she and her teammates study outbreaks after they have occurred. She said conferences like this one are essential to her work because they give her a better idea of the bigger picture.

“Epidemiology alone is a clue, but talking to people from other countries, laboratories, the field, and industry helps us understand what is happening,” she said.

Kali Kniel, a Professor at the University of Delaware, attended with a postdoc and two Ph.D. students. Her team’s research primarily focuses on produce safety. They are interested in discovering mitigation strategies that are helpful to the food industry. Kniel said that coming to the conference was great.

“Zoom conversations are limited. These face-to-face discussions in the hallway are important to help us get granular information that we might not otherwise hear,” she said. She added that it was great for her students to hear the presentations and fully understand the challenges of studying Cyclospora. 

Health LaFevers is a market access manager with bioMérieux, a company specializing in in vitro diagnostics with aims to improve public health globally. He said that Cyclospora is of interest to his team. They want to understand the gaps in Cyclospora research and collaborate with those making an impact. 

University of Georgia Associate Professor Ynes Ortega organized the event with support from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Agricultural and Food Research Initiative Competitive Program.  It was held March 7 & 8 at the Emory Conference Center Hotel in Atlanta, GA. 

“We are planning to make this a biannual meeting to foster communication and collaboration of Cyclospora experts worldwide,” Ortega said.