Over 11,000 cases of cyclosporiasis suspected in US: The states seeing spikes - The Hill

What the report says

The Hill, citing Nexstar and federal health updates, reported that a multistate cyclosporiasis outbreak has grown substantially, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention listing 4,173 outbreak-linked cases across 41 states. Officials cautioned that the actual number of illnesses could be much higher, potentially exceeding 11,000, because some people do not seek care or laboratory testing.

According to the report, the Food and Drug Administration said Monday it was examining five separate illness clusters, including one tied to Taylor Farms lettuce. The FDA has connected the outbreak investigation to at least Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia and Kentucky, even though cases have been reported more broadly. The CDC said Michigan and Ohio account for many of the additional recent reports.

Michigan has seen the sharpest increase cited in the article: a state that normally records about 50 confirmed cases a year had reached 7,171 as of Wednesday, more than 1,000 higher than Monday’s count. Ohio also has been a major contributor. North Carolina and Indiana have each surpassed 500 cases, while Kansas has reported more than 280. The Hill noted that some cases in states such as Utah and Hawaii have not been linked to the federal outbreak.

By background, cyclosporiasis is an intestinal illness caused by the Cyclospora parasite and is commonly tracked in the warmer months. The surge matters because it can be difficult to measure in real time: symptoms may be significant, but many patients are never tested, and cyclosporiasis is nationally notifiable in most states, Washington, D.C., and New York City.