Two people have died in the United States after contracting Cyclosporiasis, marking the first known fatalities linked to the country’s largest recorded outbreak of the intestinal infection.
The deaths were reported in Michigan, the state worst affected by the outbreak, with health authorities saying both victims had serious underlying medical conditions that may have been worsened by the infection and severe dehydration associated with the illness.
According to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 6,707 laboratory-confirmed cases had been recorded nationwide as of July 28, alongside more than 11,500 suspected cases awaiting laboratory confirmation.
Michigan alone has reported 11,234 cases as of Monday, including 193 hospitalisations.
Cyclosporiasis is an intestinal infection caused by the microscopic parasite Cyclospora cayetanensis, which spreads when people consume food or water contaminated with human faeces containing the parasite.
The infection is not usually fatal but can cause serious illness in some individuals, particularly those with underlying health conditions.
Common symptoms include watery diarrhoea, nausea, stomach cramps, loss of appetite, fatigue and dehydration. The CDC noted that some infected individuals may not show symptoms, while untreated infections can persist for weeks or even months, with symptoms sometimes returning after periods of improvement.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has linked part of the outbreak to iceberg lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms’ operations in central Mexico and served at Taco Bell restaurants. The affected lettuce has since been recalled.
However, investigators said the contaminated lettuce does not account for all reported infections and are examining whether other food sources may also be responsible.
Health officials suspect that multiple outbreaks may be occurring simultaneously, complicating efforts to identify the source.
Public health experts have also raised concerns that recent staffing and funding cuts affecting US health agencies may have slowed investigations and response efforts.
Paul Bollyky, an infectious disease expert at Stanford Medicine, said Cyclosporiasis is more difficult to track than many foodborne illnesses because the parasite cannot be easily grown in laboratories or traced through genome sequencing.
He warned that reduced capacity within public health departments could make future outbreaks harder to detect and contain.
“Anytime you have over 10,000 people infected with a foodborne pathogen, you do have to wonder whether this is a canary in the coal mine,” Bollyky said.
