Nearly 7,000 cases of cyclosporiasis suspected nationwide, CDC says

Nearly 7,000 people nationwide may have cyclosporiasis, a foodborne illness that can cause weeks of severe diarrhea, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday. The bulk of the cases are in Michigan, which has confirmed 3,309 cases. In a health alert, the CDC reported that 1,645 people have been sickened by cyclosporiasis across the country, making it one of the largest outbreaks of foodborne illness in the U.S. in years. The CDC urged doctors to be alert for patients with common symptoms of the infection, including watery diarrhea, bloating and nausea. An additional 5,100 cases are under investigation. “We’re seeing an unusually high number of cyclosporiasis cases this season,” Gwen Biggerstaff, deputy director of the CDC’s Division of Foodborne, Waterborne, and Environmental Diseases, said during a media call Tuesday. There are usually about 2,700 cases each year, mostly during the summer months.