Indiana reports nearly 1,000 cyclosporiasis cases

The Indiana Department of Health is reporting nearly 1,000 cases of cyclosporiasis in the state.  The cases of intestinal illness caused by a microscopic parasite is part of a national outbreak that’s hit more than 30 states.

According to the online dashboard that updates each weekday afternoon, Allen County has reported the most cases, followed by Marion and DeKalb counties.

Cyclospora cayetanensis is a parasite found in fecal matter that can be transmitted through food or drink, which causes the illness.  Symptoms include low-grade fever, appetite loss, nausea, flu-like symptoms and most notably “explosive diarrhea.”

Federal health officials traced many cases back to iceberg lettuce from Mexico that was served at Taco Bell locations.  Though the Food and Drug Administration has retracted a test it said was a “false positive,” the agency’s recommendation is still not to eat iceberg lettuce grown or processed by Taylor Farms in Mexico. The products were sold at Taco Bells in five states: Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia, and Taco Bell has said it is no longer using that lettuce.

Most people can recover without treatment and by staying hydrated, but it can be treated with antibiotics. But Melissa McMasters, administrator for the Infectious Disease Program at the Marion County Health Department, said the illness can be dangerous for at-risk individuals.

“What we like to focus on are the very young, the very old people with underlying medical conditions, anyone that’s immunosuppressed,” McMasters said. “What we worry about is dehydration, because they can become dehydrated quickly.”

Some experts note that while cyclosporiasis cases are on track to break records this year, it is common to see several cases every summer.