Nearly 400 Cyclosporiasis Cases In NYC Amid 31-State Outbreak
Cases of cyclosporiasis, a parasitic illness that causes diarrhea, have hit 31 states as of Thursday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in an update Friday, extending the number of impacted states amid concerns the agency reportedly discontinued monitoring the illness last year.
The CDC said 843 cases were reported by 31 states since May 1, noting states are likely to report higher case counts than what is reported in its data.
The CDC added it is aware of over 1,500 cases that require “further analysis to confirm the illness as domestically acquired cyclosporiasis.”
The outbreak in Michigan totaled 1,562 cases as of Friday, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
State and federal investigators have yet to find the source of several outbreaks, the CDC reported, adding investigations are ongoing.
Cyclospora, the parasite behind cyclosporiasis, was removed from required monitoring under the CDC’s Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network last year, according NBC News" href="https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/cdc-quietly-scaled-back-surveillance-program-foodborne-illnesses-rcna227089" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">to NBC News, which noted 10 states participated in the federal program.
The CDC did not provide comment when asked about the removal of cyclospora from the monitoring list, instead referring Forbes to its surveillance data.
Michigan has the highest number of cases, with up to 300 confirmed by the CDC and 1,562 cases reported by the state’s health department. New York has 81 to 160 people sick from the illness, according to the CDC, though the New York City Health Department has identified 372 cases. Cyclosporiasis cases reached 177 in Ohio as of July 2, according to the Ohio Department of Health. About 150 cases have been reported in North Carolina, according to NBC affiliate WCNC Charlotte.
Cyclosporiasis symptoms include watery diarrhea, loss of appetite and weight loss, and typically begin a week after being infected, according to the CDC, though it’s possible to feel sick as early as two days following infections. Less common symptoms include a low-grade fever, vomiting, headache and body aches. Symptoms can last from a few days to a month or longer, and some symptoms like diarrhea may go away only to return later.
The CDC encourages people to wash their hands with soap and water before handling or preparing raw fruits and vegetables. It also advises thoroughly washing fruits and vegetables and to cut off damaged or bruised areas on produce before using. Cyclosporiasis has typically been found in parsley, cilantro, snow peas, mesclun lettuce, spinach, salad mixes, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries.
The Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network required 10 participating states to monitor salmonella, E. coli, campylobacter, cyclospora, listeria, shigella, vibrio and Yersinia before the CDC scaled the program down last year, NBC News reported, amid major budget cuts to the CDC. Now, only salmonella and E. Coli monitoring continues. Experts expressed concerns to NBC News the scaled down requirements could make it harder to track and identify outbreaks of foodborne illnesses.