Wisconsin reports four Cyclospora cases, Midwest total well over 200
Wisconsin is the latest state to report cases of the parasitic disease in it’s residents. According to a news release Friday, state health officials announced that four cases of gastrointestinal illnesses caused by a microscopic parasite called Cyclospora have been reported among Wisconsin residents.
These cases are presumed to be part of a multi-state outbreak of the disease affecting more than 200 people, mostly in Iowa, Nebraska, and Texas. The ill Wisconsin residents live in Milwaukee, Brown, and Grant Counties.
LISTEN: Iowa Cyclospora Outbreak: A Few Words With Dr. Patricia Quinlisk
“Because Cyclospora can cause a prolonged illness and the disease is treatable with sulfa drugs, we want people to know that they should contact their doctor if they experience a gastrointestinal illness with watery diarrhea that lasts more than two or three days,” said Dr. Henry Anderson, State Health Officer.
Anderson noted that because this is a relatively rare infection, doctors usually do not test for Cyclospora, which requires special testing procedures.
Health authorities from Nebraska and Iowa say the outbreak is likely linked to fresh vegetables.
Iowa Dept. of Public Health (IDPH) Medical Director and State Epidemiologist, Dr. Patricia Quinlisk told Dispatch Radio Saturday, based on lengthy and extensive interviews with people that have been affected, they believe the culprit is fresh vegetables.
“Basically we’re finding that people did not have fruits in common, but they did have some vegetables and vegetable products in common. So now we’re focusing on these vegetables”, Quinlisk said.
Wisconsin health officials are collaborating with the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), local health officials, and health departments in other affected states on this outbreak investigation.
As of Friday, there were some 235 cases reported from the various Midwestern states.
Only five cases of cyclosporiasis were reported among Wisconsin residents during 2008 through 2012.
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[…] (118), Nebraska (68) and Texas (65). Smaller numbers of cases have been reported from Wisconsin, Illinois and […]