What to know about 'explosive diarrhoea' parasite outbreak in US
5 hours ago
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- #infectious-disease
- #food-safety
- A cyclosporiasis outbreak in the US involves about 7,000 potential cases across 34 states, with over 1,600 confirmed cases and others under investigation.
- Cyclosporiasis is an intestinal infection caused by a microscopic parasite, leading to frequent and explosive watery diarrhea, transmitted through contaminated food or water.
- Michigan and Ohio are severely affected, with thousands of cases, but no deaths have been reported, though some hospitalizations occurred.
- The source of the outbreak is unidentified, but past outbreaks have been linked to raw produce like bagged salads, cilantro, and raspberries.
- Transmission is exclusively fecal-oral via contaminated food or water; person-to-person spread does not occur.
- Health officials advise washing produce thoroughly and cooking leafy greens and raspberries when possible to reduce risk.