Mississippi health officials confirmed five cases of cyclosporiasis on Friday and temporarily declared the illness reportable amid a nationwide increase, the Mississippi State Department of Health said. State Epidemiologist Renia Dotson announced the change Thursday and told reporters the move responds to a spike in cases across the country.
Mississippi had been one of three states that did not require clinicians and laboratories to report cyclospora infections, Dotson said. “We have not been tracking these illnesses,” she said, adding that the department cannot say whether the five cases are outside the normal range because it lacks historical reporting data.
The cases were reported in four of the state’s nine public health regions, covering central and southern Mississippi, the Delta and the Gulf Coast, Dotson said. She told reporters the department has not identified any commonalities among the cases.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that infections have surged nationally, with more than 1,600 confirmed cases since May 1 in 30 states and more than 5,000 additional cases pending further analysis. The CDC said no deaths have been reported. The agency described cyclospora as a gastrointestinal illness caused by a microscopic parasite that can cause watery, sometimes severe diarrhea; symptoms typically appear two days to two weeks after exposure and are usually treated with antibiotics, the CDC said. Dotson said young children, older adults and people with weakened immune systems face higher risk of severe or prolonged illness.
The disease spreads when people eat food or drink water contaminated with feces and is not usually transmitted directly from person to person, the CDC said. Federal agencies are investigating infections tied to shredded iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell locations in five states and have identified a single supplier from Mexico, the agencies said; Dotson told reporters Mississippi’s cases have not been linked to that investigation. The state health department has asked laboratories across Mississippi to review testing from the past year to establish a baseline, and Dotson urged residents to wash hands and produce, refrigerate cut or peeled fruits and vegetables promptly, cook foods thoroughly and seek medical care for prolonged or severe symptoms.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
