More cases of a parasite that causes extreme diarrhea, seen in recent outbreaks across the country, have been documented in South Florida, including for the first time in Monroe County.
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The most recent data from the Florida Department of Health shows that between May 1 and July 11, the following cases of cyclosporiasis have been reported:
- Miami-Dade: 17
- Broward: 7
- Monroe: 1
That means in just a week, cases almost tripled in Miami-Dade, which had reported six until July 4. They increased from 5 for the same dates in Broward. And the new figure represents Monroe’s first case.
Across the state, the case numbers have nearly doubled, going from 50 between May 1 and July 4 up to 96 a week later. See the data for yourself here.
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are working to identify the source of the parasite, which spreads when people eat food or drink water that was contaminated with feces.
The CDC said on Tuesday that since May 1, it has received reports of 1,645 confirmed domestic cases of cyclosporiasis and is aware of more than 5,100 cases that require further analysis to confirm the illness as domestically acquired cyclosporiasis.
So far, a specific source has not been identified. In Michigan, health officials said that based on more than 1,000 interviews with people who’ve tested positive, lettuce or salad greens have emerged as possible sources.
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How to reduce your risk of getting sick with Cyclospora
The CDC suggests the following to protect yourself from possible contamination:
- Wash your hands and any fresh produce thoroughly under running water before eating, cutting, or cooking.
- Cooking kills the parasite. Cook your food thoroughly.
- Learn which foods are more likely to contain the parasite Cyclospora and ways to prevent getting cyclosporiasis.
- Stay up-to-date on food recalls and outbreaks.