An outbreak of an intestinal illness that causes diarrhea, nausea and fatigue has been detected in 31 states, according to federal health authorities, but the source is still under investigation.As of Thursday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it had received reports of 843 cases of cyclosporiasis, the gastrointestinal affliction caused by the parasite Cyclospora.But the true number of infections is likely much higher, because that figure only represents cases reported by states directly to the CDC.There is also a lag between symptom onset and reporting, and many people recover from the illness without medical treatment.
Michigan alone reported 1,562 cyclosporiasis cases as of Friday.According to the CDC, as of Thursday, there had been been 86 hospitalizations nationwide and no deaths.People can contract the illness by eating food or drinking water contaminated with the parasite.Previous outbreaks have been linked to fresh produce.
In 2018, McDonald's removed salads from restaurants in 14 states after federal health officials linked them to dozens of cases of cyclosporiasis, and tainted lettuce imported from Mexico was suspected to have sickened 400 people in the U.S.in 2013.It's typical for cyclosporiasis infections to rise in the spring and summer, but the CDC said Friday that multiple states had reported a larger jump in cases over the previous two weeks than they had during the same period last year.Health officials from California to Texas to Florida have reported cases of cyclosporiasis since the start of May.Some of the hardest-hit areas appear to be in the Midwest and Northeast, including Michigan and New York.The Ohio Department of Health reported 177 cyclosporiasis cases as of July 2, most of which occurred in June.
Dr.Bruce Vanderhoff, director of the Ohio Department of Health, said cyclosporiasis is a "serious illness that can cause dehydration and require people to seek emergency medical care, and it should be taken seriously."Acc...