WOODFORD COUNTY, Ky. (LEX NEWS) — The CDC issued a health advisory Tuesday on cyclosporiasis, an intense gastrointestinal illness now impacting more than 30 states.
Health officials in Michigan say lettuce and salad greens may be behind an outbreak in four of those states: Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia, and Kentucky. Experts suspect more than 400 cases across those states may be connected.
The Kentucky Department of Public Health reports 100 suspected cases of cyclosporiasis, 55 of which have been confirmed, with 7 hospitalizations reported. That compares to around 35 cases Kentucky typically reports in a given year.
Cyclosporiasis is caused by the microscopic parasite cyclospora, known to latch onto produce. Hallmark symptoms include diarrhea, cramping, nausea, and fever.
Woodford County Public Health Director Cassie Prather said the actual number of cases could be higher.
"They do go under-reported. Because most of people, and this is a good thing, they're able to completely recover at home," Prather said.
The CDC says symptoms typically begin about a week after exposure and can last days or even weeks. The illness is usually treated with antibiotics or simply rest and hydration, and does not spread from person to person.
Prather noted that while most healthy people recover fully, some populations face greater risk.
"As with anything, whether it be flu, common cold, whatever, anybody who is at risk for developing other symptoms, the young, the old, the immune compromised, they kind of always have to have their guard up. Just because they don't have the same immune protection that healthy people do," Prather said.
Kentucky health officials recommend the public wash their produce under running water and washing their hands before and after handing food. Other precautions including buying whole heads of lettuce and removing the outer leaves before washing, cooking produce when possible, and avoiding raw produce if you have a weakened immune system.
Cooking remains the most effective method of eliminating the parasite.
"Cooking it is absolutely the best case scenario. And you want to get that temperature up to at least 155," Prather said.
Because the source of the outbreak has not yet been officially identified, Prather is urging anyone who is sick to speak with a medical professional and cooperate with local and state contact tracing efforts.
"Please answer that call or text. Because the quicker we can get these investigations completed, the quicker we can identify the source," Prather said.
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