The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offices in Atlanta can be seen in 2022. The agency is investigating an increase in cases of cyclosporiasis.
Ron Harris/AP
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Ron Harris/AP
An outbreak of the stomach illness, which causes diarrhea, nausea and fatigue, has been found in 31 states, but the source is still under investigation, according to federal health officials.
As of Thursday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it had received reports of 843 cases of cyclosporiasis, a gastrointestinal disease caused by the parasite. Cyclospora.
But the true number of infections is likely much higher, since the figure only reflects cases that states reported directly to the CDC. There is also a delay between the onset of symptoms and their reporting, and many people recover from the disease without medical treatment. As of Friday, there were 1,562 cases of cyclosporiasis reported in Michigan alone.
As of Thursday, there had been 86 hospitalizations and no deaths reported nationwide, according to the CDC.
People can become infected 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 believed to have sickened 400 people in the US in 2013.
Rising rates of cyclosporiasis are typical during the spring and summer, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said Friday that several states reported a larger jump in cases over the previous two weeks than during the same period last year.
Where does cyclosporiasis infection occur?
Health officials from California to Texas to Florida have reported cases of cyclosporiasis since early May.
Some of the hardest-hit areas are in the Midwest and Northeast, including Michigan and New York.
As of July 2, the Ohio Department of Health reported 177 cases of cyclosporiasis, 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 attention and should be taken seriously.”
According to the CDC, the ages of those affected range from 5 to 88 years.
The total number of cases across the country is expected to rise due to the expected six-week gap between the onset of the disease and the time it is reported to federal health authorities.
What causes an outbreak?
This is not yet clear. The CDC says it continues to try to determine the source or sources of the recent surge in cyclosporiasis infections.
Investigators do this in part by interviewing people who get sick to find out what they ate. But because symptoms can appear anywhere between two days and two weeks or more after infection, a person may not remember everything they ate during that period.
Previous outbreaks of cyclosporiasis in the U.S. have been linked to raspberries, basil, cilantro, peas and lettuce, according to the Food and Drug Administration.
How to prevent cyclosporiasis
Cooking food is an effective way to avoid contamination, since heating food to 158 degrees Fahrenheit or higher has been known to kill people. Cyclospora.
Health officials also advise people to thoroughly wash all fresh produce, including herbs, although parasites are not easy to wash off.
It is also important for home cooks to follow standard food safety practices, such as washing hands with soap before and after handling fresh food.
Anyone who thinks they have cyclosporiasis and is experiencing dehydration or severe diarrhea is advised to see their doctor. Cyclosporiasis infection is usually treated with antibiotics.
NPR’s Allison Aubrey contributed reporting.