Some Illinois residents might find themselves running to the bathroom more often than usual this summer, amid higher numbers of cases of cyclosporiasis — an intestinal illness that can cause explosive diarrhea.
Illinois has had 141 reported cases so far this year of cyclosporiasis, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health. It’s a “higher-than-average number of reported cases of cyclosporiasis, consistent with what is being seen in several other states,” a spokesperson for the department said in a statement Tuesday.
Michigan has had a particularly large outbreak, with 572 reported cases as of Saturday, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Many of those cases have been in the southeast part of the state. The state’s chief medical executive has called it an “unusual number of cases.”
In all, at least 17 states reported cases of the illness between May 1 and June 16, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
It’s likely that there have been more cases in recent weeks than what’s been reported, given that many people recover without medical care and don’t get tested for the sickness, according to the CDC.
Though certainly unpleasant, the illness is not usually life-threatening.
It’s caused by a microscopic parasite, and people can become infected by eating food or drinking water that’s been contaminated with feces, according to the CDC. The illness is seasonal, with higher numbers of cases typically in the spring and summer.
Though some people infected with the parasite may not experience any symptoms, others may have watery diarrhea with frequent bowel movements that can sometimes be explosive, according to the CDC. The illness can last days to more than a month, and it usually takes about a week to feel ill after a person has been infected with the parasite.
If people are concerned about the diarrhea and it’s not going away, they may want to seek medical help, as the illness can be treated with an antibiotic, said Dr. Michael Lin, an infectious disease specialist at Rush University Medical Center.
So far, no single cause for the higher numbers of cases in Illinois or in other states has been identified, according to the state health department and the CDC.
But in past outbreaks of the illness, food has often been to blame, especially raspberries, basil, cilantro, snow peas and mesclun lettuce, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The illness is not typically passed from person to person.
Lin advises people to wash raw fruits and vegetables before eating them and recognize that some foods, such as imported berries, are higher risk than others.
“The way it spreads typically is in mostly developing countries where there’s poor sanitation structure,” Lin said.
Of the 141 reported cases in Illinois, 62 people reported traveling outside the U.S., and 20 cases are pending investigation to determine whether the person had traveled before becoming ill.
People should also wash firm produce, such as melons and cucumbers, with a clean produce brush, according to the state health department.
People, however, should be aware that some foods are harder to wash than others, such as raspberries, which have many nooks and crannies where the parasite can hide, he said.
“You can reduce your risk but not eliminate it with washing,” Lin said.
People with compromised immune systems — or those who can’t afford to get diarrhea — may want to avoid raw, imported foods altogether, Lin said. Instead, they can cook their vegetables, he said.
