As cyclosporiasis, the parasitic illness marked by chronic, explosive diarrhea, infects people across the nation, we checked in Tuesday with local officials.
Ashley Helman, director of nursing at the St. Joseph County Health Department, says they see cyclosporiasis every year but it’s usually in people who’ve contracted it while traveling abroad. Helman says she can’t say for sure how many cases they’ve seen locally until test results are confirmed.
“But I will say we have seen an increase, an unusual amount, not typical for our area at any time in the past," Helman says.
Since the parasite is not spread person to person, Helman says the department is interviewing people with symptoms and trying to determine what they’ve eaten. But the illness can take a week or so for symptoms to present so it can be hard for people to remember.
She says they haven’t found any common food locally that victims have eaten.
“But in the past what we’ve seen transmit this parasite is already pre-chopped and bagged lettuce salad mixes, fresh cilantro, fresh basil, fresh raspberries and green onions.”
