‘Explosive’ Diarrhea Parasite Cases Rocket in Alarming Outbreak

Cases of cyclosporiasis, a parasitic infection behind bouts of “explosive,” watery diarrhea, have rocketed nationwide, with Michigan reporting almost 700. Michigan counted 678 cases by Monday—a near-fourfold leap from the 170 tallied less than a week earlier, and roughly 14 times its usual annual total of 50. Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, Michigan’s chief medical executive, warned that the count is “a moving target,” pointing to the gap between when someone eats tainted food and the onset of symptoms. Nationally, the CDC flagged well over 400 infections across 18 states last Friday and labeled the clusters “alarming,” while stressing that there is no evidence the outbreaks share a single nationwide source. The parasite travels through water and uncooked produce fouled with human waste, and can take up to two weeks to make someone ill. A 2022 flare-up in Florida was traced to bagged salad kits. Ohio has seen its own spike, with 177 cases by July 2, 171 of which have been reported since June 20. The outbreak has caused no fatalities, and officials advise cooking produce or rinsing it thoroughly under the tap.

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