Cyclosporiasis outbreak tops 15,000 cases across US

The number of laboratory-confirmed cyclosporiasis cases in the United States has surpassed 15,700, although the rate of new infections is beginning to slow, said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

As of August 18, the CDC had recorded 15,716 confirmed cases of the foodborne illness, which can cause frequent, “explosive” diarrhea, nausea and abdominal cramps that may persist for weeks.

The latest weekly update added 1,821 cases, down from 3,427 reported in the previous update, suggesting that the pace of new infections is easing as the country moves farther from the most active period of the largest outbreak.

The largest outbreak, which affected 17 states, was linked to iceberg lettuce grown in Mexico and distributed by California-based Taylor Farms. The lettuce was removed from stores and restaurants weeks ago, meaning products purchased by consumers are unlikely to still be in circulation. The Food and Drug Administration is separately investigating smaller outbreaks in other parts of the country.

Florida has reported 407 cases across 43 counties between May 1 and August 8. No deaths have been reported in the state, and health officials have not linked the cases to a specific outbreak.

State-level figures are substantially higher than the CDC’s confirmed-case tally because states report both probable and confirmed infections and generally process cases faster than the CDC, which has a reporting lag of about six weeks.

As of August 18, Ohio had reported 5,526 cases, while Michigan had recorded 13,909 cases and two deaths.

Cyclospora is a parasite that spreads through contaminated food or water. Symptoms typically include prolonged watery diarrhea, nausea, abdominal cramps, fatigue and loss of appetite. While the illness is generally treatable, symptoms can last for several weeks or recur without appropriate treatment.

By Vafa Guliyeva