Hundreds of New Cases Reported as the Explosive Diarrhea Outbreak Gets Worse

A foodborne parasitic disease that can cause explosive diarrhea is surging in some parts of the country. Federal and local health officials in 18 states have documented a recent uptick in cases of cyclosporiasis. In Michigan, hundreds of new cases have been reported in the past week alone. No specific sources behind these outbreaks have been identified as of yet, though the parasite commonly spreads through tainted produce. Cyclosporiasis is caused by various species of the microscopic parasite Cyclospora, predominantly Cyclospora cayatenensis. Though rarely life-threatening, the disease is infamous for causing watery and explosively loud bouts of diarrhea, along with other common symptoms of gastrointestinal illness. Oh Great, a Parasite That Causes Explosive Diarrhea Is Spreading Right Now Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that at least 145 people in 17 states had contracted cyclosporiasis between May and mid-June, while 20 people were hospitalized as a result (no deaths). However, these figures are now considerably out of date. Right around that same time, Michigan, one of the states not included in the CDC tally, reported 170 cases in the state