An intestinal illness that has plagued the country has seen a number of cases in Lee County.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Cyclosporiasis, an intestinal infection caused by the microscopic parasite Cyclospora cayetanensis, has caused thousands across the United States to fall ill.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As of July 11, there have been 97 confirmed cases in Florida, with Lee County seeing the second-most cases by county with 15. Miami-Dade, with 18, had the most.<\/p>\n
According to the Florida Department of Health, \u201cPeople can become infected with Cyclospora by consuming food or water contaminated with the parasite. The most\u00a0common symptom\u00a0is\u00a0watery diarrhea. Other\u00a0symptoms\u00a0include loss of appetite, nausea, and fatigue. Most healthy individuals do not need antibiotics to treat the illness. Seek medical attention if\u00a0symptoms persist.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lee County first started seeing cases as early as April. In June, seven confirmed cases were reported in Lee County, and thus far in July, six confirmed cases have appeared.\u00a0<\/p>\n
According to the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention, the CDC, along with state and federal partners, are working together to investigate several outbreaks of Cyclosporiasis.<\/p>\n
CDC officials on July 16 stated there is a large, multistage outbreak occurring in \u201cat least\u201d four midwestern states, including Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia and Kentucky.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cPublic health officials are interviewing people linked to this outbreak to find out what foods they ate before getting sick,\u201d CDC officials stated. \u201cA specific food item has not yet been confirmed as the source. Investigators are collecting as much information as they can to solve this outbreak.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to FDOH officials, consumers can\u00a0reduce\u00a0exposure\u00a0risk\u00a0of foodborne illnesses by practicing good hygiene and\u00a0following\u00a0safe food-handling\u00a0practices. People are encouraged to wash their\u00a0fruits and\u00a0vegetables\u00a0before consuming.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
According to the Cleveland Clinic, Cyclosporiasis are linked to fresh herbs and leafy greens.\u00a0<\/p>\n
CDC officials also state, \u201cIn the United States, outbreaks of cyclosporiasis have been linked to various types of fresh produce. People can get infected with Cyclospora more than once.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt takes at least one to two weeks in the environment (outside the body) for Cyclospora to become infectious after passing in a bowel movement. Therefore, direct person-to-person transmission is unlikely.\u201d<\/p>\n
This is not the first time the illness has arrived in Florida, officials said.<\/p>\n
According to FDOH data, there were 10 cases in 2024, 20 cases in 2023, and 17 cases in 2022. In 2017, there were 23 cases reported.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cCyclosporiasis is a seasonal disease that affects Floridians every year,\u201d FDOH officials stated.\u00a0<\/p>\n
According to the CDC, symptoms usually begin about one week after an individual is infected \u2014 with some showing as early as two days and as late as two weeks. CDC officials said without treatment, symptoms can last from a few days to a month or longer.\u00a0<\/p>\n
CDC officials said individuals experiencing symptoms of Cyclospora infection should see a healthcare provider.<\/p>\n