Two cases of the intestinal infection cyclosporiasis have been recorded in Wichita County according to the Wichita Falls-Wichita County Health District.
Clinical Services Administrator Seante Hanlon said both cases were related to recent international travel.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is working closely with states on the rising cyclosporiasis cases across the country, according to a USA Today article on Monday. But health experts warn previous cuts to food surveillance could hinder the outbreak investigation.
In a statement shared on July 10, the CDC said it is aware that states are reporting higher case counts of cyclosporiasis than reflected in CDC data and that the federal agency is updating numbers as additional cases are confirmed.
“CDC teams are working diligently to collect, analyze and provide data at the national level,” the CDC said in the USA Today article. “State health departments may have more timely information about the situation in their jurisdictions.”
The parasitic infection, which can cause explosive diarrhea among other symptoms, has surpassed 1,000 cases across the country as health officials are still searching for answers.
Cyclosporiasis can present with symptoms such as diarrhea, abdominal cramps, nausea and fatigue that overlap considerably with other gastrointestinal illnesses, making clinical diagnosis difficult without specific laboratory testing to identify the causative pathogen.
The CDC said the disease may last a few days to more than a month and may return one or more times.
To avoid getting sick, the CDC recommends:
This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: Explosive diarrhea illness shows up in Wichita County
Reporting by Lynn Walker, Wichita Falls Times Record News / Wichita Falls Times Record News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Lynn Walker, Wichita Falls Times Record News | USA TODAY Network
