Michigan has reported nearly 1,000 cases of cyclosporiasis, an intestinal illness caused by a parasite, local health officials said Wednesday.
Since June 22, officials have confirmed at least 992 cases, a spokesperson from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) told ABC News. At least 36 people have required hospitalization.
The state typically sees about 50 cases per year, meaning cases have climbed to nearly 20 times the average.
Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, an infectious disease physician, epidemiologist and the chief medical executive for the state of Michigan, told ABC News earlier this week that the department’s working hypothesis links the outbreak to contaminated produce.
The parasite usually spreads through food or water contaminated with feces, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Foodborne outbreaks of cyclosporiasis have linked to various types of imported fresh produce, such as raspberries, basil, snow peas, mesclun lettuce and cilantro, according to the CDC.
The MDHHS spokesperson said on Wednesday that officials have not identified any specific produce, grower, supplier or type of produce as the source.
Michigan is not the only state reporting cases. In neighboring Ohio, the state department of health has reported 177 cases.
The CDC said it has detected 145 cases in 17 states since May 1, excluding Michigan. Officials have reported no deaths.
The CDC said patients’ ages ranged from 5 through 86, and 61% were female.
Some patients do not experience any symptoms but, for those who do, the most common symptom is “explosive watery diarrhea,” doctors previously told ABC News. Other symptoms can include cramping, bloating, low-grade fever, nausea and vomiting, the doctors said.
The CDC says it takes about one week from the time of infection to become symptomatic, but that time can range from two days to two weeks.
Because cyclosporiasis symptoms can resemble other illnesses, a patient may find it hard to determine the cause.
“Anyone experiencing gastrointestinal illness, such as sudden and ongoing diarrhea, should contact their health care provider and their local health department,” the MDHHS spokesperson told ABC News in an email.
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