State health officials have confirmed 123 cases of cyclospora in Texas with 90 of those being reported in the Houston area.
Health officials are still working to identify the source of the outbreak.
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In total, 23 people have been hospitalized.
Here is a breakdown of the Houston area cases:
- 38 in unincorporated Harris County
- 21 in the City of Houston
- 16 in Montgomery County
- 13 in Galveston County
- 2 in Brazoria County
We are still waiting to hear back from Fort Bend County to get a full picture of the area.
What is cyclospora — and how does it spread?
Cyclospora is a microscopic, single-celled parasite known to cause intestinal illness. Too small to be seen without a microscope, it is typically found in soil, water and on certain fresh produce.
Dr. Linda Yancey, an infectious disease specialist with Memorial Hermann, says the type of produce matters when it comes to risk.
“It is possible to wash this parasite off of produce, and so the type of produce that tends to cause problems are things that are very difficult to wash — precut lettuce, raspberries, blackberries, anything that is difficult to wash,” Yancey said.
Her advice for shoppers? Make some simple swaps at the grocery store.
“If you want lettuce, instead of the bagged precut lettuce, go ahead and buy a head of lettuce, discard the outer few leaves and the interior will be perfectly safe,” Yancey said. “If you want fruit, go for fruit that are easier to wash, like grapes and blueberries.”
Symptoms to watch for
Symptoms of cyclospora typically appear about one week after exposure and can include watery diarrhea — which can be frequent and sometimes explosive — abdominal cramping and bloating, nausea, loss of appetite, fatigue and weight loss.
Yancey says tracing the origin of a cyclospora outbreak is particularly challenging due to the parasite’s long incubation period.
“Cyclospora can be difficult to trace down an origin, mainly because it has such a long incubation period — up to 10 days,” Yancey said. “Historically, this is something we see a lot, and it’s entirely possible to have more than one outbreak going on at the same time. We’ve seen that in the past.”
An origin for this outbreak has yet to be determined.