Health officials warn of parasite illness cyclosporiasis as tri-state cases climb

Health officials are warning about cyclosporiasis, a parasitic illness spread through contaminated food or water, as cases turn up across the tri-state area. The CDC says it has recorded 145 US-acquired cases in people who fell ill between May 1 and June 16, spread across 17 states, with New York among the hardest hit. Twenty people have been hospitalized, and no deaths have been reported.

Health officials are getting the word out about cyclosporiasis, a parasitic illness that has been making people sick across the country and has now turned up in the tri-state area. The warning urges residents to be aware of an infection that can be easy to miss at first but can linger for weeks.

The illness has reached all three states in the region. Officials said New York, New Jersey and Connecticut are each reporting cases, part of a broader national picture that has drawn the attention of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

According to the CDC, the agency has recorded 145 cases of cyclosporiasis acquired in the United States among people who became ill between May 1 and June 16. Those cases have been spread across 17 states, with New York among the hardest hit so far.

The culprit is a microscopic parasite. Cyclosporiasis is a form of food poisoning caused by the Cyclospora parasite, and people usually become infected by eating or drinking food or water that has been contaminated with it.

One of the reasons the illness can catch people off guard is its delay. Someone who has been infected often will not know it until about a week after exposure, when symptoms set in, including watery diarrhea with frequent, sometimes explosive bowel movements, along with cramping, bloating and nausea.

Left untreated, the illness can drag on. Health officials warned that the symptoms can last a month or even longer without treatment, making it important for people with persistent stomach problems to seek medical care rather than wait it out.

So far, the outbreak has sent a number of people to the hospital. Nationally, 20 people have been hospitalized in connection with the illness, though no deaths have been reported, and health authorities have not yet tied all the cases to a single, shared source.

Investigators are still working to pin down where the contamination is coming from. The CDC said it was continuing to look for potential clusters and sources of the illness, and in the meantime officials are urging the public to stay alert to the symptoms as cases continue to be reported across the region.

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