U.S. cyclosporiasis cases surge to nearly 4,200 confirmed cases

LOS ANGELES, July 22 (Xinhua) -- The United States has reported a sharp rise in cyclosporiasis cases since May, with 4,173 laboratory-confirmed cases reported across 41 states and an additional 7,400 cases under investigation, according to the latest data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Between May 1 and Monday, July 20, the CDC had received reports of 4,173 laboratory-confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis across 41 states, and there were more than 7,400 additional cases that were not yet laboratory confirmed and required further investigation and analysis, according to an update released by the agency on Tuesday.

Many of the additional cases were reported by Michigan and Ohio, according to the CDC.

Among the confirmed cases, 308 people were hospitalized. The confirmed cases ranged in age from two to 95 years, with a median age of 44, and 56 percent were female, the CDC said.

The agency is investigating multiple clusters of Cyclospora cases, including a multistate outbreak involving five states that has been linked to shredded iceberg lettuce.

The actual number of people affected by cyclosporiasis is likely higher than the number reported, because some people recover without seeking medical care and are not tested for Cyclospora, according to the CDC.

Cyclosporiasis is a gastrointestinal disease caused by the microscopic parasite Cyclospora. Case numbers typically increase during the spring and summer months. In the United States, the cyclosporiasis season is considered to run from May 1 through Aug. 31, according to the CDC.