SPRINGFIELD, IL – Sangamon County in July had 12 reported cases of a parasitic infection, and two probable cases.
The infection, called cyclosporiasis, has gotten nearly 14,000 Americans sick and two people have died, according to the CDC.
47 states have reported cases, though 15 states are part of an outbreak linked to iceberg lettuce.
The infection causes diarrhea, loss of appetite, fatigue, cramping and bloating, among other symptoms.
Sangamon County sees lapse in cases
Only one case of Cyclosporiasis has been reported so far in August in Sangamon County, according to the Sangamon County Department of Public Health.
That’s 10 days since the last reported case as of Aug. 12, and the health department hopes it means the trend of the infection is going down.
One or two cases is usually reported in the county each summer, said Heather Kadyk, who is Supervisor of Infectious Diseases at the Sangamon County Department of Public Health.
The county overall this year has seen 16 reported cases and two cases that were probably Cyclosporiasis.
The infection in Illinois
1,260 confirmed and probable cases have been reported in Illinois as of Aug. 11, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.
Of those 1,260 confirmed and probable cases:
Asked about whether Illinois cases have declined since a recall of iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms de Mexico, Public Information Officer Jim Leach with IDPH said it’s not possible to say yet whether cases are declining because there can be a significant time lag between exposure to the infection and onset of illness.
Leach also pointed to information from the FDA that recent illnesses may not yet be reported because it can take as long as six weeks to determine if a sick person is part of a Cyclospora outbreak.
IDPH does not have county-by-county breakdown, IDPH spokespeople said via email. They added that their investigation focuses on where suspect food items were purchased and consumed “so that we can assist in pinpointing potential sources as part of the multistate investigation.”
Some data is preliminary at this point because cases remain under investigation, IDPH said.
FDA says ‘leafy greens’ are safe to eat
Acting FDA Commissioner Kyle Diamantas said in an Aug. 10 interview with CNBC that Americans at this point should feel confident eating fresh produce, including leafy greens.
On July 17, Taylor Farms de Mexico, announced that were voluntarily removing all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico from the U.S. market.
An unrelated recall is in place for jalapeno peppers. 30 Illinoisans had gotten sick from a Salmonella outbreak as of Aug. 6. That number has not changed on the CDC webpage as of Aug. 12.
Tom Ackerman covers breaking news and trending news along with general news for the Springfield State Journal-Register. He can be reached at tackerman@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Sangamon County saw 12 cases of cyclosporiasis in July | Exclusive
Reporting by Tom Ackerman, Springfield State Journal-Register / State Journal-Register
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By Tom Ackerman, Springfield State Journal-Register | USA TODAY Network
