Over 90 cases of cyclosporiasis have been confirmed in Florida since May 1, according to the Florida Department of Health’s Reportable Diseases Frequency Report, with Miami-Dade County reporting the highest number of cases.
Florida has 94 confirmed cases of the illness — characterized by severe gastrointestinal symptoms — according to data from the FDOH, which spans the time period from May 1 to July 11. Miami-Dade County had 17 confirmed cases, the most of any county in the state. Lee County was a close second, reporting 14 cases.
The source of the outbreak, which has affected a confirmed 1,645 people in the United States, has not yet been identified, according to the CDC. Over 5,100 cases require further analysis to be confirmed as instances of domestically-acquired cyclosporiasis.
“Public health officials are interviewing people linked to this outbreak to find out what foods they ate before getting sick. A specific food item has not yet been confirmed as the source,” the CDC said. “Investigators are collecting as much information as they can to solve this outbreak.”
Cyclospora was one of several parasites removed from a mandatory reporting list last summer under the Trump Administration.
Symptoms of cyclosporiasis
Cyclosporiasis, caused by the microscopic Cyclospora parasite, can be contracted by ingesting contaminated food or water. It is not usually spread from person to person, according to the CDC.
Symptoms, the most common of which include frequent watery diarrhea, weight loss, appetite loss, nausea, fatigue and bloating, usually begin around one week after someone is exposed, though onset can occur two to 14 days after being exposed, according to the CDC. “Less common symptoms” include low-grade fevers and vomiting.
If untreated, symptoms of the disease can “follow a remitting-relapsing course,” lasting from a “few days to a month or longer.” Though illness can be “severe,” it’s not usually life-threatening, says the CDC.
Number of confirmed cyclosporiasis cases in Florida, broken down by county
Alachua
2
Brevard
1
Broward
7
Collier
2
Columbia
1
Duval
3
Escambia
1
Flagler
2
Gadsden
1
Highlands
2
Hillsborough
3
Lake
3
Lee
14
Manatee
1
Martin
1
Miami-Dade
17
Monroe
1
Okaloosa
2
Orange
3
Osceola
4
Palm Beach
2
Pasco
1
Pinellas
3
Polk
4
Seminole
5
St. Johns
2
St. Lucie
2
Sumter
2
Volusia
2
Sarah Perkel is a South Florida Connect Reporter for the USA TODAY Network’s Florida Connect team. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday day by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cyclosporiasis cases confirmed in South Florida, Miami-Dade County