Cofepris finds no Cyclospora in Riviera Maya hotels; UK alert prompted investigation

Mexico's Federal Commission for the Protection against Sanitary Risks (Cofepris) has announced that its investigation found no trace of the parasite Cyclospora cayetanensis in samples collected from 16 hotels in the popular Riviera Maya tourist destination.

This analysis was initiated following a rise in cyclosporiasis cases reported among tourists from the United Kingdom who had recently visited the Riviera Maya. The outbreak led the UK to issue a travel alert for the region.

Cofepris collected a total of 32 samples from food and beverage bars and 11 water samples. These were subjected to rigorous testing, including molecular methods like real-time PCR, at Cofepris's national reference laboratory. The results, confirmed by the Laboratory of National Reference of the Commission for Analytical Control and Coverage Expansion (CCAYAC), were negative across all tested products for the presence of the Cyclospora parasite.

The commission's statement confirmed that the sanitary samples taken from the 16 hotels in the Riviera Maya did not contain the Cyclospora cayetanensis parasite. This finding aims to address concerns raised by the travel alert and reassure visitors about the sanitary conditions in the affected hotels.