Fast-growing cyclosporiasis parasite outbreak in southeast Michigan and 17 other states
Anyone eating fresh produce in southeast Michigan sits in the path of a fast-growing parasite outbreak. Health officials confirmed more than 170 cyclosporiasis cases across seven counties, versus a typical 50 for a full year. The CDC separately tracks 145 cases in 17 other states
Anyone eating fresh produce in southeast Michigan right now sits in the path of a fast-growing parasite outbreak. State health officials have confirmed more than 170 cases of cyclosporiasis across seven counties, including Wayne, Washtenaw and Monroe. To put that in perspective, Michigan normally records around 50 cases in an entire year. The illness comes from Cyclospora, a microscopic parasite that spreads through contaminated food, most often fresh produce, and it can cause watery diarrhea and fatigue that drag on for weeks if untreated. The problem reaches well beyond Michigan. The CDC is separately tracking 145 cases across 17 other states, with at least 20 people hospitalized and patients ranging in age from 8 to 84. As of its latest update, the agency says there is no evidence yet linking all of the cases to a single contaminated source. For households, the exposure point is the produce aisle and the kitchen. Because investigators have not yet identified the contaminated item, the case counts in both Michigan and the wider CDC tally are still moving, and the source of the illness remains the central open question for public health teams.