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\n The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offices in Atlanta are seen in 2022. The agency is investigating a rise in cyclosporiasis cases.<\/p>\n
Ron Harris\/AP<\/p>\n
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Ron Harris\/AP<\/p>\n
An outbreak of an intestinal illness that causes diarrhea, nausea and fatigue has been detected in 31 states, according to federal health authorities, but the source is still under investigation.<\/p>\n
As of Thursday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said<\/a> it had received reports of 843 cases of cyclosporiasis, the gastrointestinal affliction caused by the parasite Cyclospora.<\/p>\n But the true number of infections is likely much higher, because that figure only represents cases reported by states directly to the CDC. There is also a lag between symptom onset and reporting, and many people recover from the illness without medical treatment. Michigan alone reported<\/a> 1,562 cyclosporiasis cases as of Friday.<\/p>\n According to the CDC, as of Thursday, there had been been 86 hospitalizations nationwide and no deaths.<\/p>\n People can contract the illness by eating food or drinking water contaminated with the parasite. Previous outbreaks have been linked to fresh produce. In 2018, McDonald’s removed salads<\/a> from restaurants in 14 states after federal health officials linked them to dozens of cases of cyclosporiasis, and tainted lettuce imported from Mexico was suspected to have sickened<\/a> 400 people in the U.S. in 2013.<\/p>\n It’s typical for cyclosporiasis infections to rise in the spring and summer, but the CDC said Friday that multiple states had reported a larger jump in cases over the previous two weeks than they had during the same period last year.<\/p>\n Where are cyclosporiasis infections occurring? <\/p>\n Health officials from California to Texas to Florida have reported cases of cyclosporiasis since the start of May.<\/p>\n Some of the hardest-hit areas appear to be in the Midwest and Northeast, including Michigan and New York<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Ohio Department of Health reported<\/a> 177 cyclosporiasis cases as of July 2, 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 care, and it should be taken seriously.”<\/p>\n According to the CDC, those sickened with the disease have ranged in age from 5 to 88 years old.<\/p>\n The total number of nationwide cases is expected to grow, due to the estimated six-week gap between when illnesses begin and when they are reported to federal health authorities.<\/p>\n What’s causing the outbreak? <\/p>\n That is still unclear. The CDC says it is continuing to try to identify the source or sources of the recent surge of cyclosporiasis infections.<\/p>\n Investigators do that in part by interviewing those who’ve become sick to find out what they’ve eaten. But since symptoms can appear<\/a> anywhere between two days and two weeks or more after a person was infected, they may not remember everything they ate during that period.<\/p>\n Previous U.S. outbreaks<\/a> of cyclosporiasis have been associated with raspberries, basil, cilantro, snow peas and lettuce, according to the Food and Drug Administration.<\/p>\n How to prevent cyclosporiasis <\/p>\n Cooking produce is an effective way to avoid an infection, as heating food to 158 degrees Fahrenheit or higher kills Cyclospora.<\/p>\n Public health officials also suggest that people thoroughly wash all of their fresh produce, including herbs, though the parasites are not easy to rinse off<\/a>.<\/p>\n It is also important for home cooks to observe standard food safety rules<\/a>, such as washing their hands with soap and water before and after handling fresh produce.<\/p>\n