Health officials in the United States have reported the first fatalities linked to a parasite responsible for causing severe diarrhea outbreaks, described as ‘explosive’ in nature.
According to Michigan’s health department, two residents have succumbed to cyclosporiasis, an illness with the potential to induce serious dehydration and fatal complications.
The department noted that both individuals had significant pre-existing health issues, but further specifics remain undisclosed.
These fatalities form part of a substantial cyclosporiasis outbreak, traced back to shredded iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms, supplied to Taco Bell and other retailers.
Michigan reported a spike in infections, with the count soaring to 11,234 cases, sharply contrasting with the roughly 4,013 cases in Ohio, the second most affected state.
Nationwide, a total of 18,000 cases of cyclosporiasis across 45 states have been reported. Official tallies tend to lag behind those from states.
Typically spread through consuming food or water contaminated with human feces, cyclospora, the parasite that causes cyclosporiasis, triggers ‘explosive’ diarrhea, abdominal cramps and vomiting in patients. In serious cases, it may trigger severe dehydration, which can be fatal.
Health officials said that cyclosporiasis is ‘generally not a life-threatening illness’, adding that deaths from the disease were ‘uncommon’.
Two people in Michigan have died from an outbreak of cyclosporiasis, caused by the cyclospora parasite (pictured above)
Revealing the deaths, health officials in Michigan said: ‘According to medical records, both individuals had significant underlying health conditions that may have been impacted by cyclosporiasis and dehydration.’
A total of 193 people in Michigan have been hospitalized as of July 30.
The surge in cases comes as health officials scramble to find the source of the outbreak. The FDA initially named lettuce supplied by produce grower Taylor Farms as the culprit, leading the company to temporarily shut down the Central Mexico processing facility linked to the parasite.
But on July 19, the FDA said lettuce from Taylor Farms returned a false-positive result for the cyclospora parasite.
The named Taylor Farms facility produces five-pound bags of shredded iceberg lettuce sold to Taco Bell, Sysco and other large food distributors. It has since been shut down temporarily and its lettuce has been recalled.
The largest previously recorded outbreak was in 2019, and led to 4,703 domestic and internationally acquired cases. This was primarily linked to fresh basil imported from Mexico alongside other causes.
In Michigan, health officials have not pinpointed a specific source but have urged people to thoroughly wash and trim certain produce before consuming them. These items include lettuce and leafy greens, cilantro, basil, green onions, raspberries and snow peas.
Michigan has been recording its surge in cyclosporiasis cases since late June, with infections mostly diagnosed in people in their 20s, 30s and 40s.
Within the state, the majority of cases are being diagnosed in and around Detroit. Oakland County, one of the three counties that make up metropolitan Detroit, has recorded more than 1,000 cases, the most out of any county in the state.
Typically, Michigan records around 50 cases of the parasite every year.
People become infected with cyclosporiasis by eating food or drinking water contaminated with the cyclospora parasite, most commonly through fresh produce such as leafy greens, herbs and berries.
In the US, most cases are typically linked to international travel or imported produce from regions where the parasite is common, including Mexico, Central America, South America and the Caribbean.
Fresh produce can become contaminated if it is washed or irrigated with water contaminated by human sewage.
Previous outbreaks have been linked to bagged salad kits, cilantro, basil and other leafy greens.
In addition to lettuce, officials in North Carolina last week said parsley and cilantro were ‘showing up repeatedly’ in interviews with patients who had become ill. Officials, however, have not revealed where the patients ate before becoming sick or how many cases have been linked to each ingredient.
Cyclosporiasis typically causes explosive diarrhea, abdominal cramping, nausea, vomiting and fatigue.
The cyclospora parasite causes cyclosporiasis, an infection that leads to diarrhea, severe cramping, nausea and vomiting and fatigue
Unlike norovirus or routine food poisoning, however, symptoms often come and go rather than resolving after a few days.
Without treatment, experts say the illness can persist for weeks or repeatedly return.
Anyone with diarrhea lasting more than a few days should seek medical care and specifically ask for a cyclospora test, as it is not routinely ordered, Dr Swapnil Patel, vice chair of medicine at Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center, told the Daily Mail.
The test detects cyclospora DNA in stool samples and typically requires one to three samples.
Treatment for the infection consists of the antibiotic trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, sold under the brand names Bactrim, Septra and Cotrim.