Health officials in Iowa and Nebraska today said the number of patients sickened in a Cyclospora outbreak has grown to 80, and though the source has not been identified, Iowa's investigation points to fresh vegetables as likely culprits.
The infection total in the two states is more than double the 35 reported earlier this week. Other Midwestern states may have cases, but so far Iowa and Nebraska are the only two reporting them, according to earlier reports.
The parasitic disease, spread through contaminated food and water, can cause an unusually long bout of watery diarrhea that can last up to 57 days if untreated. The long list of symptoms can also include fatigue, anorexia, bloating, stomach cramps, vomiting, muscle aches, and a low-grade fever.
Iowa has identified 45 cases from 15 counties, though nearly half are from Linn County, according to a press release today from the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH). One patient has been hospitalized. Most of Iowa's patients got sick in mid to late June.
Meanwhile, Nebraska has identified 35 cases, Leah Brucco-White, a public information officer for the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (NDHHS), told CIDRAP News today.
She said, "We're currently investigating and trying to identify the source of infection."
Please continue reading by
at: http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2013/07/cyclospora-cases-climb-80-iowa-nebraska or http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/node/69411