The Explosive Diarrhea Outbreak Is About to Get Much Bigger
A significant outbreak of cyclosporiasis, a parasitic infection linked to tainted lettuce, is spreading across the U.S. with thousands of potential cases reported. Health experts warn that official numbers are likely undercounted due to the difficulty of diagnosing the illness.
Why it matters
Foodborne illness outbreaks pose a significant public health risk and highlight vulnerabilities in the produce supply chain.
The country is grappling with a large and fast-spreading outbreak of cyclosporiasis, a parasitic infection that causes extreme gastrointestinal distress. There are nearly 7,000 potential cases, more than 3,300 of which are in Michigan alone as of Tuesday, and state officials have identified tainted lettuce as the likely culprit.
The actual case count is almost certainly higher, though, because most people don’t seek medical care when they get diarrhea. And even when they do, labs don’t routinely test for cyclosporiasis, says Jeanne Marrazzo, CEO of Infectious Diseases Society of America. She estimates cases are at least double the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s numbers.
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