Cyclospora cases in Allegheny County rise amid national outbreak - TribLIVE.com

What the report says

TribLIVE reported that Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, has confirmed 31 cyclospora infections as of Thursday night, including one case that required hospitalization. County health officials said they have not found a shared exposure tying the patients together, and they are not yet classifying the local increase as an outbreak. Dr. Jillian Irwin of the Allegheny County Health Department said cases are spread across multiple ZIP codes, with a few patients reporting international travel.

Cyclospora is a parasite that causes cyclosporiasis, an intestinal illness often marked by diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting and fatigue, according to health officials cited by TribLIVE. Investigators say tracing the source can be difficult because symptoms may begin days or weeks after a person consumes contaminated food or water, making food histories harder to reconstruct. Pennsylvania health officials said infections are often linked to fresh produce imported from tropical or subtropical regions, or to travel in those areas.

The local rise comes as the CDC has broadened a national cyclospora investigation to include Pennsylvania and several other states. TribLIVE cited CDC figures showing more than 4,100 lab-confirmed U.S.-acquired cases from May 1 through July 20, with more than 7,400 additional cases still under review, 308 hospitalizations and no reported deaths. Pennsylvania had reported 45 cases by Wednesday, according to the state Department of Health.

Allegheny County is interviewing patients about food, shopping and travel histories while sending specimens to the state lab for genetic comparison. Officials said no confirmed genetic links had been identified locally as of Tuesday. Residents are being urged to watch for food safety alerts, and providers are encouraged to test suspected patients when possible to support the investigation.