Irish health authorities warn of intestinal parasite infections among tourists returning from Salou

Irish health authorities have warned of an increase in infections caused by the intestinal parasite cryptosporidiosis among tourists returning from Salou.

The Irish government has detected an increase in cases this year up to 656.

There has also been a notable increase since the end of August, including 37 confirmed cases of people who had traveled to Salou, a popular seaside tourist destination near Tarragona in southern Catalonia.

Health authorities in the UK have also detected an increase in cases between August and September, with a high concentration of confirmed cases among people who had visited the Balearic Islands. 

The two alerts are collected in the weekly bulletin of the European Center for the Prevention and Control of Diseases.