What is cyclosporiasis? Michigan health officials share what to know amid outbreak
Hundreds of Michiganders are getting sick amid a cyclosporiasis outbreak.
Cases totaled more than 300 on Thursday afternoon, and the bulk of them are in Southeast Michigan.
CBS News Detroit is getting answers from health experts about what this parasite is and how you can keep your loved ones healthy during the holiday weekend.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services detected 228 cases of cyclosporiasis through Wednesday, and roughly 100 more through Thursday. They're expecting more to come because of how long it takes for symptoms to show.
It's not deadly, but state health officials say people will start to have diarrhea, nausea, bloating and cramps one to two weeks after infection.
"The cases that are being reported today are from people who could have been exposed 1-2 weeks ago," said MDHHS Chief Medical Executive Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian.
Most of those cases are in Southeast Michigan, with 92 in Monroe County and 36 in Lenawee County, according to data from Wednesday afternoon. Washtenaw and Wayne Counties are also in the double digits. Michigan usually averages roughly 50 cases per year.
It's still unclear how this outbreak started, but there are some ideas.
"We know that prior outbreaks have been related to contaminated produce. So we really think about produce that has been exposed to water that's been contaminated with this parasite," Dr. Bagdasarian said.
The state health department is urging people to wash all fresh produce before eating. However, there is another way the parasite could be reaching folks.
"I think it's entirely possible you could have outbreaks associated with swimming in pools," said University of Michigan microbiology and immunology professor Vern Carruthers.
While cyclosporiasis can't be passed person-to-person through the air or by touching, it can be transmitted through contact with human waste.
"You have someone or even a child who is in the pool, they'll release it into the water, and because it is so resistant to being killed by chlorine, people who are just ingesting that water have a chance of getting it," Carruthers said.
The illness is treatable with antibiotics, but if left untreated, symptoms can continue and recur for more than a month.
If you've noticed any of these symptoms, you should head to your doctor for testing and also avoid spending time in pools or lakes that could infect others.
