A nasty gastrointestinal bug is rapidly spreading in several states, with more than 700 cases confirmed in Michigan over the last few weeks.The demand for tests for cyclosporiasis, a pathogen often caused by contaminated fresh produce, is so intense, with so many patients seeking help for diarrhea and crippling abdominal cramps, that many labs can’t keep up.
Subscribe to read this story ad-freeGet unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.The source of the fast-moving illnesses is unknown, although the Food and Drug Administration said an investigation is ongoing.Cases in Michigan could easily reach 1,000, said Dr.
Anurag Malani, vice chief of staff at Trinity Health Ann Arbor.“There are many more cases that are yet to come.”Meanwhile, health officials are scrambling to figure out what people are eating that’s making them sick.“We’re pulling people’s grocery shopping lists,” said Dr.
Natasha Bagdasarian, chief medical executive for the state of Michigan.Staff, she said, are working overtime as cases have increased precipitously in recent weeks: 708 cases over the course of about 10 days.
It’s “highly unusual,” Bagdasarian said, as the state usually sees 40 to 50 cases a year.Cyclosporiasis cases tend to increase during the summer, usually between May 1 and Aug.
31, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Most cases are centered in the southeastern part of Michigan, although illnesses have also been reported in Ohio, North Carolina, Illinois and New Jersey, among others.
The FDA and CDC are monitoring the outbreaks, an FDA spokesperson said in an email.“We are not in a position at this time to characterize the current numbers as definitively unusual pending the completion of that investigation,” the spokesperson said.The disease — cyclosporiasis — is a foodborne illness caused by a microscopic parasite called cyclospora.
Fresh produce is almost always the source.Previous outbreaks have involv...