There have been more than 100 reported cases of cyclosporiasis in Wisconsin this summer, according to the state Department of Health Services.
The intestinal illness is caused by a parasite, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say it has been linked to “watery diarrhea with frequent and sometimes explosive bowel movements.”
DHS announced in a recent update that there were 105 reported cases in Wisconsin and three hospitalizations since May 1. Of those 105 cases, 20 people did not report traveling internationally.
In a July 16 press conference, Kim Zelton, DHS enteric disease epidemiologist, said that during a typical cyclosporiasis season, which runs from May 1 to August 31, Wisconsin typically sees between 20 and 30 domestically acquired cases.
Nationwide, the CDC most recently reported 4,173 cases from May 1 to July 20, which has led to 308 hospitalizations and no deaths. Those cases are from people who did not report international travel before getting sick.
The CDC reported 767 cases acquired outside of the United States, leading to 33 hospitalizations. It is also aware of at least 7,400 additional cases that are not yet laboratory confirmed. All CDC cyclosporiasis data comes from 41 reporting states.
A timeline of Wisconsin’s cyclosporiasis updates
What is cyclosporiasis?
The intestinal disease is caused by a microscopic parasite called Cyclospora cayetanensis. The number of reported cases tends to rise in the spring and summer, but typically the disease is not life threatening.
People become infected by consuming contaminated food or water. Those living or traveling in tropical or subtropical places may be at increased risk, though the CDC said in its report that current cases involve people who became sick after eating food in the United States and didn’t report any travel during the two weeks prior to getting sick.
What are the symptoms of cyclosporiasis?
Not all people infected with cyclosporiasis show symptoms, but in addition to diarrhea, it commonly causes:
Less common symptoms include vomiting, body aches, headache, low-grade fever and other flu-like symptoms.
The timing between infection and becoming sick is typically about a week, but can be as short as two days or longer than two weeks. If left untreated, the illness can last over a month, and symptoms can clear before returning one or more times.
How can I prevent cyclosporiasis?
Lance Schulteis can be reached at LSchulteis@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin reports over 100 cyclosporiasis cases, 3 hospitalizations
Reporting by Lance Schulteis, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Lance Schulteis, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | USA TODAY Network
