July 23 (Reuters) – Michigan health officials reported on Thursday 7,644 cases linked to an outbreak of cyclosporiasis, an intestinal infection, an increase of 473 cases since the state’s last update a day earlier.
The outbreak in Michigan has resulted in 160 hospitalizations, according to the state health department. No deaths have been reported.
Cyclosporiasis, caused by the Cyclospora parasite, can trigger diarrhea, nausea and other gastrointestinal symptoms. It can be contracted by consuming food, typically raw fruits and vegetables, or water contaminated with feces.
Cases of cyclosporiasis have risen steadily in recent months across the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The agency said earlier this week 4,173 people across 41 states had contracted the parasite, and 308 of them had been hospitalized.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Wednesday it was investigating a new outbreak of cyclosporiasis, with 72 cases tied to an as-yet-unidentified source.
The FDA’s outbreak tracker shows six active Cyclospora investigations, including four ongoing outbreaks and two that have ended but remain under investigation.
A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services told Reuters that “the Trump administration has mounted a robust response to this outbreak, working closely with health departments in all 50 states and leading the public health response by promptly identifying known sources and providing Americans with the information they need to protect themselves.”
Additional implicated brands, restaurants, retailers, or distribution channels may be identified as the FDA’s investigation continues, HHS said.
The CDC is investigating more than 7,400 additional reported infections that have yet to be laboratory confirmed, many of them in Michigan and Ohio.
The agency had linked the outbreak to shredded iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell restaurants in some states.
Mexico Health Minister David Kershenobich, however, said on Tuesday there was no evidence so far that lettuce from Mexico caused the outbreak.
U.S. health officials are still investigating an outbreak in five states linked to iceberg lettuce.
(Reporting by Siddhi Mahatole in Bengaluru; Editing by Tasim Zahid and Shilpi Majumdar)
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