Cyclosporiasis parasitic illness reported in Maryland, including at least 1 case in Baltimore

Maryland is investigating its first reported case of cyclosporiasis, a parasitic illness linked to severe diarrhea. 

MedStar Health says it has seen cases in Maryland -- including at least one in Baltimore -- and in Washington, D.C. No further details about the patients or their conditions have been provided. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says cyclosporiasis has infected hundreds of people in at least 18 states, and health officials are still trying to pinpoint the source. 

What to know about cyclosporiasis and its symptoms

Doctors say cyclosporiasis is different from typical food poisoning, and there are symptoms you shouldn't ignore.

Symptoms include watery diarrhea, stomach cramps and fatigue, and they can take about a week to appear -- making it much harder for investigators to trace where the parasite came from.

They also say the parasite changes as it replicates, making it even more difficult to link cases to a single source.

Cyclospora parasite can be found on fresh produce

"A fecal-oral transmission, meaning it comes from stool that then contaminates food sources and then gets into another person's system," Dr. Jonathan Thierman, president of Expresscare Urgent Care Centers, explained. "Most typical contaminants are fresh produce, and so they've seen it in lettuce, they've seen it in berries, I think raspberries is one of the most significant, because it's the most difficult to wash because there's a lot of crevices. So it's these little eggs of these parasites that are very sticky and stick on the surface of produce."

While doctors say washing fresh fruits and vegetables thoroughly can help reduce your risk, if you develop persistent watery diarrhea, they recommend seeing a health care provider, because parasites can be treated with antibiotics.