(Reuters) - At least 285 people in 11 states have been
sickened by a parasitic infection commonly linked to fresh produce, and
the exact cause of the outbreak has yet to be pinpointed, the U.S.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Thursday.
Most of the cyclospora infections have been clustered in the
Midwest, with 138 cases reported in Iowa and 70 in neighboring Nebraska.
The remainder have been identified in Texas, Georgia, Wisconsin,
Connecticut, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, New Jersey and Ohio.
The cause of the illness has not yet been identified, but the
parasite is most commonly found in fresh produce, including fruits,
vegetables and herbs, grown in tropical and subtropical regions,
according to Dr. Barbara Herwaldt, a medical epidemiologist at the CDC.
"Because no food item has been implicated to date we're not yet sure
the cases in the various states are related," she said. "Though it's
quite likely that the cases in the Midwest might be."
At least 18 people in three states have required hospitalization
from the cyclospora parasite, which causes an intestinal infection
called cyclosporiasis.
Cyclosporiasis is caused by ingesting food or water containing a
one-celled parasite that is too small to be detected without a
microscope. Symptoms include watery diarrhea, vomiting and body aches.
The symptoms usually manifest within several days of eating the
contaminated food, and include diarrhea, cramps, nausea and fatigue. If
not treated, the illness may last from a few days to a month or longer
and patients have been known to relapse, the CDC said.
The first cases were reported in Iowa in late June, with the
majority of the illnesses logged in early July. The CDC has not released
the age range of those infected, but said it was working closely with
the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and state officials to gather more
information.
"We are carefully monitoring cases that are coming to our attention
now to see if there's any evidence the outbreak is ongoing," Herwaldt
said. "We don't know if it is and we are following it very closely."
As a precaution, she encouraged people to thoroughly wash produce
before it is eaten to minimize the chance of infection. The CDC also
recommends that anyone with cyclosporiasis-like symptoms seek medical
treatment and ask to be tested for the parasite.
"The good news is that the infection is easily treatable with readily available antibiotics," Herwaldt said.
Most people with healthy immune systems recover from the infection
without treatment. Older people and those with weakened immune systems
might be at higher risk for prolonged illness.
(Reporting by Victoria Cavaliere; Editing by Barbara Goldberg and Maureen Bavdek)
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