More than half of U.S. states—29 and counting—have now reported cases of a parasitic illness that can induce weeks of watery, explosive diarrhea since the wave first emerged in May. But this mysterious outbreak, a poop tsunami, as some might say, appears to have a new epicenter.
Michigan, the Great Lakes state whose license plates have long advertised the nickname “Water Wonderland,” has now documented 992 cases of this prolific diarrhea-generating infection, according to the latest update from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS). While the unpleasant gastrointestinal ordeal has not yet caused any deaths, cases of the bug have now climbed into the thousands—or about four times more than were recorded at this point last year, according to federal data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Michigan’s localized cluster of this punishing weeks-long diarrhea, which is believed to be caused by the foodborne parasite Cyclospora, appears to have crossed the border between the state’s southeastern counties and Ohio. As of this Wednesday, Lucas County, Ohio, has documented 306 further cases, with surrounding counties in northwestern Ohio reporting over 500 cases in total, according to the Associated Press.
While state and federal health officials have yet to pinpoint the exact vector—like a confirmed contaminated food product—the cases do not appear to be a series of isolated coincidences, according to MDHHS Chief Medical Executive Natasha Bagdasarian. “There is clearly a linked outbreak happening right now,” Bagdasarian told AP.
What is cyclosporiasis?
Cyclosporiasis is the technical name for this infectious disease, derived from the Cyclospora genus of microscopic spherical parasites that causes it, although the specific species, Cyclospora cayatenensis, is most often the culprit in humans. This single-celled protozoan infects the bowels and “usually causes watery diarrhea with frequent and sometimes explosive bowel movements,” according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) fact page.
The disease spreads via contact with Cyclospora-contaminated fecal matter and usually takes about one to two weeks out in the environment to grow infectious, making “direct person-to-person transmission “unlikely,” the CDC states. Past waves of cyclosporiasis have typically cropped up in the late spring and summer, sometimes attributed to fruits or vegetables tainted by fecal matter via agricultural irrigation.
Fortunately, cyclosporiasis is not typically deadly; however, its prolonged bouts of diarrhea and resulting dehydration can pose more serious risks for children, the elderly, and immunocompromised patients. The disease can be effectively treated by antibiotics, but if left untreated, it can last for mere days to over a month.
More frustrating still, cyclosporiasis symptoms have a tendency to wax and wane, returning “one or more times,” according to the CDC. So, a little vigilance will go a long way toward preventing any explosive surprises.
How to avoid cyclosporiasis
Americans along the Eastern Seaboard, across the South from Arizona to Florida, up in the Midwest, and even reportedly in Alaska, should be mindful about the risk of cyclosporiasis this summer, judging from surveillance data mapped by the CDC. Health officials advised cooking fresh produce when preparing meals and avoiding prewashed plastic tubs or bags of greens or salad mixes.
“In the United States, foodborne outbreaks of cyclosporiasis have been linked to various types of imported fresh produce, including raspberries, basil, snow peas, and mesclun lettuce; no commercially frozen or canned produce has been implicated,” the CDC explained in a fact sheet.
Health officials with MDHHS in Michigan issued an advisory to restaurants and the general public to thoroughly wash and preferably cook high-risk fresh produce, including green onions (scallions) and fresh cilantro (coriander leaves), as well. Concerned cooks should be sure to heat at-risk food to 158 degrees Fahrenheit (70 degrees Celsius) or higher to kill Cyclospora, the state agency advised.
Because the nooks and crannies of a raspberry’s surface make them “especially hard to clean,” health officials advised either cooking the fruit or purchasing frozen raspberries. “Freezing may reduce but does not guarantee elimination of the parasite,” MDHHS noted.
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