Cyclospora update: Mecklenburg confirms 37 cases, 4 hospitalizations from parasite
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
Thirty-seven cases of a parasite that causes intestinal distress that have been identified in Mecklenburg County as of Tuesday, July 28, according to Mecklenburg County Public Health.
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Four of the patients in Mecklenburg County have been hospitalized by the illness, according to Mecklenburg County Public Health. Cyclosporiasis, the illness caused by the single-celled parasite cyclospora, causes prolonged gastrointestinal symptoms, including watery, and sometimes “explosive” diarrhea.
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services reported 561 cases in the state as of July 20. Most of the state’s cases are in Wake County, where 435 cases have been reported. Schools in the area have changed menus in response to the outbreak. NCDHHS officials have said the statewide case count will be released on Tuesdays.
The CDC has evidence 161-300 of the cases in North Carolina were contracted in The United States, as of July 21. CDC data shows lower cases than many state and local health departments are reporting, as the CDC identifies whether the cases are acquired within the United States or not — over 4,000 cases have been confirmed nationally, but the CDC is aware of another 7,400.
Cyclosporiasis is often linked to contaminated produce products. The CDC and FDA identified iceberg lettuce from the brand Taylor Farms used by Taco Bell as the likely source of infections in five states, and later identified the product to be a likely source of infection in nine states.
Another cyclosporiasis outbreak was announced by the FDA on July 22, with 72 cases, but the FDA has not clarified where in the country the outbreak is.
North Carolina DHHS cannot tie cases in the state to specific products, including Taylor Farms lettuce, but have pointed to uncooked produce like herbs. State officials said they will continue to investigate.
Taylor Farms recalled several product lots as a result of the investigation. The shredded lettuce was distributed in a variety of states, including North Carolina. On July 19, Taylor Farms announced that the FDA had made a mistake, and a Taylor Farms sample that had tested positive for cyclospora was a “false positive.”
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While the sample was a false positive, the FDA’s traceback investigation still converges on Taylor Farms lettuce as a suspect, and people should continue to obey the company’s voluntary recall, the FDA confirmed on X, formerly known as Twitter.
To clarify, this false-positive lab sample DOES NOT change the basis for FDA’s ongoing outbreak investigation or the overwhelming epidemiological data supporting the current voluntary recall by Taylor Farms.
Over the weekend, FDA alerted Taylor Farms that a new sample of… https://t.co/hedRwhPLd8
Very young, old and immunocompromised people are at higher risk of a severe infection. Cyclosporiasis may take up to two weeks to cause symptoms, and often lasts longer than food poisoning.
According to the CDC, symptoms include:
Less common symptoms may include:
Cyclosporiasis can be treated with a combination antibiotic, Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. Most people recover without treatment.
Patients who suspect cyclosporiasis should ask medical staff to test for it, as it is not routine.
Cooking or cleaning produce carefully can lower the risk of infection. Clean produce with clean water and dry it.
Portions of this story were previously published in The News & Observer.
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