DETROIT: Michigan on Thursday (Aug 13) reported 13,909 cases linked to an outbreak of cyclosporiasis, an increase of roughly 11 per cent from last week, as the state continued to account for the bulk of cases in the multi-state outbreak of the parasitic illness.
The outbreak has shaken people across the United States, raising concerns about eating fresh produce and going to restaurants, in addition to causing illness.
Despite a weekly jump in cases, Michigan health officials said new cyclosporiasis case reports and related emergency department visits were declining, adding that residents could resume routine guidance for consuming lettuce and salad greens. The department had last week said new case reports appeared to be slowing.
Dr. Michael Osterholm, an infectious disease expert at the University of Minnesota, said he believes the latest cases are not evidence of ongoing transmission but reflect the fact that the state had a backlog in testing.
Some Michigan health systems last month reported significant delays in the reporting of test results as the high volume of cases resulted in a shortage of test kits and reagents.
Corewell Health, a non-profit chain of 21 hospitals across Michigan, issued guidance on Jul 22 saying that due to the current outbreak, it would take 8-21 days to deliver test results, up from the normal 2-4 day wait time.
With these new cases, Osterholm said, it is important to understand when symptoms first emerged, details the state has not provided.
Michigan previously reported two deaths associated with the outbreak, with officials saying both individuals had significant underlying health conditions.
Wayne County had the highest number of cases at 1,794, followed by Oakland County with 1,344. People aged 30 to 39 accounted for the largest number of cases by age group, with 2,615 infections. The state health department said 314 of those infected were hospitalized.
The outbreak, which has been linked to iceberg lettuce sourced from privately held Taylor Farms operations in central Mexico, has shaken consumer confidence in lettuce and other fresh produce.