ORLANDO, Fla. – A microscopic parasite making waves across the country has now been identified in Florida, according to the CDC.
That parasite — Cyclospora cayetanensis — is responsible for an intestinal illness called “cyclosporiasis,” which can cause watery diarrhea with potentially explosive bowel movements.
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Health officials explained that Cyclospora spreads when people eat or drink water that was contaminated with feces.
However, the CDC noted that in the U.S., cyclosporiasis outbreaks have been linked to various types of fresh produce.
Outbreak season for cyclosporiasis kicked off on May 1 and runs through Aug. 31. Since the start of the season, the CDC has received reports of over 140 people who acquired the illness.
Of these, the FDOH lists out 36 cases in Florida alone as of June 27.
| County | Counts |
|---|---|
| Lee | 6 |
| Broward | 5 |
| Miami-Dade | 3 |
| Orange | 3 |
| Hillsborough | 2 |
| Polk | 2 |
| St. Johns | 2 |
| Alachua | 1 |
| Brevard | 1 |
| Collier | 1 |
| Columbia | 1 |
| Escambia | 1 |
| Flagler | 1 |
| Gadsden | 1 |
| Highlands | 1 |
| Osceola | 1 |
| Palm Beach | 1 |
| Pasco | 1 |
| Sumter | 1 |
| Volusia | 1 |
But the areas with the greatest volume of reported cases included places like Texas, Illinois and New York — the last of which may have had up to 80 reports.
“The true number of people sick with cyclosporiasis was likely higher than the number reported,” the CDC’s website reads. “This is because some people recover without medical care and are not tested for Cyclospora.”
Anyone who experiences symptoms of Cyclospora infection is urged to contact their healthcare provider, though health officials have assured that most people with healthy immune symptoms will eventually recover from cyclosporiasis even without treatment.
For more information on cyclosporiasis and its symptoms, visit the CDC’s website here.