The CDC said it is working closely with states regarding cyclosporiasis. But experts have warned that cuts to public health funding could delay investigations.
The CDC is warning of an increase in cyclosporiasis cases. Here’s what you need to know:
Cases of cyclosporiasis are increasing across the United States as authorities warn of contaminated produce and symptoms.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says it is working closely with states on the growing number of cyclosporiasis cases across the country, but health experts warn that previous cuts to food surveillance could hinder outbreak investigations.
In a statement shared on July 10, the CDC said it is aware that states are reporting a higher number of cysticercosis cases than reflected in CDC data and that the federal agency is updating numbers as additional cases are confirmed.
“CDC teams are working diligently at the national level to collect, analyze, and provide data,” the CDC added. “State health departments may be able to obtain more timely information about the situation in their jurisdictions.”
The parasitic infection, which can cause explosive diarrhea among other symptoms, has infected more than 1,000 people nationwide as health officials are still searching for a solution.
At this time, there is no evidence that a single multistate outbreak is linked to all cases. Local and federal officials are still working to identify potential sources of the outbreak, but so far many cases appear to be part of a seasonal surge. The CDC believes the annual cyclosporiasis surge will last from May 1st to August 31st.
“At this time, no specific produce producer, supplier or type of produce has been identified as the source of the outbreak,” Lynn Sutfin, a spokeswoman for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, told USA TODAY on July 7. “Anyone experiencing gastrointestinal illness, such as sudden or persistent diarrhea, should contact their health care provider or local health department.”
“There’s far less information to work with.”
Tracking foodborne illness-related outbreaks can be difficult, and the parasitic nature and long incubation period of cyclosporiasis adds to the difficulty.
“When you have bugs like Cyclospora that are hard to figure out, it takes a lot longer. It takes a lot more time and effort,” food safety attorney Bill Mahler recently told USA TODAY.
Marler said he expected a lengthy investigation, especially since staff at the CDC and FDA have been significantly reduced thanks to budget cuts and layoffs.
Last year, federal health officials scaled back the Foodborne Disease Active Surveillance Network, a program that had tracked foodborne illness infections in the United States for decades.
The CDC said the program, known as FoodNet, will no longer need to monitor eight of the 10 pathogens it used to monitor, including Cyclospora.
Kalmia Kneel, a professor of microbial food safety at the University of Delaware, recently told USA TODAY that this loss of data could hinder health officials’ ability to track cases, identify the source of infection and stop further transmission.
“We have much less information to work with,” Knier said. “I think we’re seeing some of the effects of that now.”
Dr. Steven Goldberg, a primary and emergency medicine physician and chief medical officer at the infectious disease research institute HealthTrackRx, recently told USA TODAY that crosspolyiasis is “a real but manageable concern and not a reason for panic.” However, questions remain about public health preparedness.
“Spreads of infection are inevitable, but our ability to detect infections early, identify contaminated food, and prevent further illness depends entirely on the public health infrastructure we choose to fund,” he said.
In a statement to USA TODAY, the Food and Drug Administration said, “Under Secretary Kennedy’s leadership, FDA is currently working closely with CDC and state and local partners to investigate the Cyclospora outbreak using established epidemiological, laboratory, and tracing tools.”
Contributor: Christopher Kang
