Dozens hospitalized with cyclosporiasis as cases of gastrointestinal illness spike in 31 states

Nearly 3,000 people have been sickened with a gastrointestinal illness called cyclosporiasis, a foodborne infection marked by intense, watery diarrhea, according to state health departments across the country. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Friday that 31 states have reported cases of cyclosporiasis and 86 people have been hospitalized. As health officials scramble to find the source of the illnesses, the CDC said it’s unclear whether the outbreaks in different states are connected. The numbers are a sharp rise compared to this time last year, it said. The agency has confirmed 843 of those cases, all acquired in the U.S., and is still investigating more than 1,500. No deaths have been reported. The outbreak has been particularly intense in Michigan, which had 1,562 cases as of Friday.