The first deaths from a parasite that causes ‘explosive’ diarrhea have been recorded in the US, health officials say – amid a major outbreak.
Two fatalities from cyclosporiasis, which can cause life-threatening dehydration, have been reported in Michigan by the state’s health department.
Both patients had ‘significant underlying health conditions,’ but no further information was revealed.
The deaths were reported as part of the major outbreak of cyclosporiasis linked to shredded iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms that was sold at Taco Bell and other stores.
Health officials said deaths from the illness were ‘uncommon,’ adding that cyclosporiasis is ‘generally not a life-threatening illness’.
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.
Officials also added that cyclosporiasis ‘is generally not a life-threatening illness. Death resulting from cyclosporiasis is uncommon in the United States.’
Two people in Michigan have died from an outbreak of cyclosporiasis, caused by the cyclospora parasite (pictured above)
Revealing the deaths, they said: ‘According to medical records, both individuals had significant underlying health conditions that may have been impacted by cyclosporiasis and dehydration.’
Michigan’s Department of Health revealed the deaths as it announced its case tally has exceeded 11,000, the most recorded in any state.
As of Monday, there have been 11,234 cases of cyclosporiasis reported in Michigan alone, nearly triple the tally in the next hardest hit state, Ohio, which has reported 4,013 cases.
A total of 193 people in Michigan have been hospitalized as of July 30.
Nationwide, infections with the parasite have been recorded in 45 states so far this year.
A total of 18,000 cases of cyclosporiasis have been reported, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. These include 6,707 laboratory-confirmed cases and another 11,500 probable cases, along with 423 hospitalizations.
However, national figures tend to lag behind local health authorities, so the true toll is likely higher.
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.
The cyclospora parasite causes cyclosporiasis, an infection that leads to diarrhea, severe cramping, nausea and vomiting and fatigue
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.
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.
