Infections caused by food poisoning Cyclospora parasites have occurred nationwide, and the number of patients continues to increase, with 210 laboratory-confirmed cases.
Federal, state and local public health officials are investigating the outbreak, which has spread to 22 states and New York City, according to a June 22 update from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The CDC and the Food and Drug Administration have been tracking the outbreak since April 1, but further infections may have begun before that date.
It is also believed that there are more than 210 people in the ongoing outbreak due to the time lag between a patient becoming ill and confirmatory testing being completed and results being submitted to the CDC. Some sick people do not seek medical attention, which also affects the number of infected people. Parasites are killed using antibiotics. Special tests are needed to diagnose Cyclospora infection.
“No specific food has been identified as the cause of most of these illnesses. We are investigating,” the CDC reported.
Cyclospora infections are often associated with agricultural products from other countries, but none of the 210 confirmed cases reported traveling abroad prior to onset of illness. Some past outbreaks in the United States have been traced to coriander, basil, mesclun lettuce, raspberries, and snow peas.
Food safety experts say there is no evidence that washing produce removes parasites.
The ages of infected people in the nationwide outbreak range from 3 to 95 years, with a median age of 49 years. Sixty-four percent of patients are female. The median date of onset is May 5, 2023, with a range from April 1 to June 9. Of the 207 people for whom information is available, 30 are hospitalized. No fatalities have been reported.
The total number of laboratory-confirmed cases reported since April 1 includes 20 patients in Georgia and Alabama associated with outbreaks associated with imported raw broccoli. The FDA and state and local partners conducted follow-up investigations, but they did not have enough information to identify specific types of broccoli or producers. No recall was done. Like the nationwide epidemic, there are likely more than 20 cases associated with the broccoli epidemic, according to the CDC.
The Georgia/Alabama epidemic linked to raw broccoli appears to be over, according to the CDC and FDA. Both states continue to report other cases of Cyclospora infection unrelated to broccoli.
Cyclosporiasis is reported year-round in the United States. However, there is often an increase in acquired cyclosporiasis in the United States during the spring and summer. The exact timing and duration of these seasonal increases vary, but reports show he tends to increase from May. Infections began to be reported in April this year. According to the CDC, it’s too early to tell whether this timing represents a seasonal change in cyclosporiasis in the United States.
“Several outbreaks of cyclosporiasis caused by different foods may be reported in the same year. However, many cases of cyclosporiasis cannot be directly related to outbreaks. It interviews sick people to find out what they ate in the 14 days before they became ill.If common foods are found, CDC and partners can identify contaminated foods in stores or in people’s homes. We will quickly confirm if it is still available and issue a recommendation.”
About Cyclospora infection
Anyone who develops symptoms of Cyclospora infection and has reason to believe that they have been exposed to this parasite should seek medical attention. Special tests are required and antibiotics are used to fight the parasite. Cyclospora infections can mimic other diseases.
Cyclospora infection can cause severe abdominal pain, watery diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, body aches, and fatigue. Symptoms may develop within 2-14 days after exposure. Symptoms can be severe enough to require hospital admission, but death from Cyclospora infection is rare.
Cyclospora is a type of protozoan, a small single-celled organism. It is contracted by people ingesting faeces that have been contaminated in some way. It is usually present in minute amounts and is usually transmitted through contaminated food or water. It spreads only through human faeces, unlike E. coli and Salmonella, which can also be spread through animal faeces.
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